Georgina Willis is an award-winning director and photographer and her latest feature Insect O Cide highlights the alarming decline in the insect population and its impact on humans. A well-known author and biologist Dave Goulson is the narrator and writer of the film.
The central theme of the film, is that human beings are on the verge of extinction due to the rapid decline in the insect populations. There is currently a fall of 2.5% each year in the mass of insects. This presents a disastrous future for our survival that would have terrifying circumstances. People would not be able to live on the planet without these small creatures.
As Willis states,“Insects had been present on this earth long before humans and thus are essential for our survival on this planet.” The documentary highlights the many issues that are feeding into this problem. The film looks at the way agriculture, urbanization, chemical use and climate change have all played a role in these declines.
Willis created a ‘floating studio’ out of an old English barge that traveled up the rivers so that the insects could be gathered and brought back to the boat. The boat was originally moored on the Thames in London. Willis said” I think it was the first floating film studio. We had all the things we needed on board and all the insects were gathered nearby and brought back to our makeshift studio and then released after filming. It was a brilliant way of shooting the film. Often there is a distinct boundary between these things. I felt very connected to the insects’ lives as I looked through the camera and were floating around in their habitat. It was an incredible experience.”
Georgina Willis’ Insect O Cide is a real milestone and innovation in filming. Each small animal appears on the screen in a way that is completely new and mesmerising. “We tried a lot of new techniques to film these amazing creatures. I am really pleased with the shots we got,” said Willis.
The film depicts them as important creatures. As Georgina says it’s a ‘big film about small things. As a species, we can’t survive without insects.”
Insect O Cide has gone into post-production with Potoroo Films and now will be released in late 2021.
