Nocturnes

In the species-rich jungles of the Eastern Himalayas, scientist Mansi sets out to study nocturnal butterflies. She is joined by Bicki, a young volunteer from the local community, who helps set up a large light screen every night to attract moths of various shapes, colors, and patterns. As they watch, an illusion of a living image floating in the night unfolds before the viewers’ eyes, hinting at the changes that await these species in the face of climate change. The film unfolds not only as a portrait of two researchers devoted to work whose results are difficult to measure in cosmic time, but also as a slow meditation inviting us to take a closer look at the mysterious connections that exist in nature and to question humanity’s place and scale of action on Earth.

Are we capable of seeing the world through the eyes of a butterfly? This is the question scientists ask themselves as they observe the irreversible consequences in our ecosystem. Time and existence in this film are not rushed. The daily life of a moth researcher is shown without great excitement or earth-shattering scientific discoveries, because the changes under study creep up like fog slowly enveloping the jungles of the Himalayas. When the catastrophic nature of climate change has been discussed for more than a decade and sensational headlines no longer help, the directors invite us to this nocturnal rendezvous – to meet face to face with a living world trembling with anxiety and fragility. – Festival coordinator and program curator Aušra Umbrasaitė

Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan

Anirban Dutta is a filmmaker, still photographer, and media educator. His work explores topics such as biodiversity, environmental issues, health, and gender and sexuality.

Anupama Srinivasan is a filmmaker, film educator and curator based in Delhi. She did her BA in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and went on to study filmmaking at the Film & Television Institute of India. She has been making documentaries for over two decades, often shooting and editing her own work. Her films have been screened at various film festivals including Sundance, CPH, and Hot Docs.