Insects (film)


Insects is a surreal comedy film directed by Jan Švankmajer, the film is based on the play Pictures from the Insects' Life by Karel and Josef Čapek. Švankmajer stated that the film would be his last. It premiered on 26 January 2018 at International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film follows amateur actors rehearsing Pictures from the Insects' Life. The actors find themselves living out their characters' roles and hallucinating insects. Insects is intercut with the creative process of the film itself and interviews with the actors about their dreams.

Cast

The film had a projected budget of 40 million CZK and a preliminary release set for 2017. The world premiere was then confirmed for the 2018 International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film is based on the play Pictures from the Insects' Life by Karel and Josef Čapek, which Švankmajer described as following: "From the Life of Insects is a misanthropic play. My screenplay only extends this misanthropy, as man is more like an insect and this civilisation is more like an anthill. One should also remember the message in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis." In May 2016, Athanor Production Co. launched an Indiegogo campaign to crowdfund $150,000 for the film. The campaign ended on February 20, 2018, and managed to raise $305,927, surpassing its initial goal by 81%.