Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

Far more fascinating than any entomology lesson, American filmmaker Jessica Oreck’s debut captures the essence of a centuries-old Japanese subculture that has an acute enthusiasm for insects. Her unconventional approach to science education is never dull, unearthing a surprising national love affair with bugs. Oreck sets her documentary to the rhythm of traditional Japanese culture, with its attention to detail, appreciation of harmony and search for revelation in what to others might seem mundane. The philosophies of revered author and anatomist Dr. Takeshi Yoro’s are woven in, too, as the viewer is encouraged, as Oreck tell us, to “observe the world from an uncommon perspective on nature, beauty, that will shift the familiar to the fantastic. It just might change not only the way we think about bugs, but the way we think about life.” —AFI Film Festival