Set in the dense forests of the Eastern Himalayas, Nocturnes is an immersive documentary following an ecologist on her quest to study moths in a remote ecological “hot spot” on the border of India and Bhutan.
The documentary world premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Craft. It has since been screened at other film festivals including the 26th Sarasota Film Festival, the 31st Sheffield DocFest, and the 32nd Hamptons Film Festival.
Release Date
Directed by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, Nocturnes opens in select US theaters on October 18, 2024.
Synopsis
An immersive viewing experience of sound and imagery, the film weaves together an intricate and poetic tapestry of our world. Ecologist Mansi sets out on a quest to study moths in one of the most vibrant places on earth. She teams up with Bicki, a young man from the indigenous Bugun community, to seek clues about what the future has in store for the moths.
Together, Mansi and Bicki traverse the landscape, meticulously working night after night to put up light screens that transform into a dynamic canvas with moths of varying sizes, designs and textures, creating a painterly effect with their form, movement and color. Meanwhile, the human beings wait, watch and listen with patient anticipation and wonder.
By focusing on a small, ephemeral, nocturnal creature like the moth, Nocturnes seeks to question an human-centric view of the world. The lush forest, throbbing with a vast diversity of life, emerges as a breath-taking character as the film responds to the symphony of sounds and the inherent rhythms of the trees, the wind and the rain. The result is a rare and transformative experience that invites us all to look with more attention and care at the hidden interconnections in nature.
“Our intention and challenge in this film is to bring three seemingly disparate worlds – nature, science, and human stories – together in an organic way,” said co-directors Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan. “We believe that human interest does not have to exclude the natural world, and science can be something that resonates with our lives. Through the cinematic style of the film, we urge the audience to feel embedded in the natural environment, and to allow themselves to respond to the vibrations of nature.”
Reviews
Siddhant Adlakha in a Variety review praised the documentary, writing, “Dutta and Srinivasan have effectively reverse-engineered an aesthetic approach from the basic concept at the heart of these entomologic studies, with sheets painted in light as the central object of allure for the moths, and for the audience.”
Kate Erbland in an IndieWire review gave the documentary a score of A-, writing, “It’s looking and seeing, observing and feeling, and existing entirely in the moment. Time doesn’t stop in the world of “Nocturnes,” but in this introspective and captivating doc, a respite isn’t just possible, it’s imperative”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for ‘Nocturnes.’