Saturday, December 20, 2008

Microcosmos by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou

Filmed in a world where a raindrop is an event, and a blade of grass a long road, Microcosmos is a ravishing glimpse of tiny life forms as they are born, as they work, as they mate, as they travel, and as they die.


I remember many, many sequences from this film, but three of them can be called grand:

1. The myth of Sisyphus as unconsciously played out by a beetle.

2. The operatic embrace of two snails. One almost feels as if one is invading their privacy.

3. The birth of a bee.

One wonders at nature, in which such wonders exist. And one wonders at human beings, who make such films possible.

And one realizes that the dichotomy is false. Humanity is part of this universe, part of nature, not a contrast from it. Its brain, its films, its computers, its amazing inventions are as natural a phenomenon as the hexagonal cell of a honey bee.

1 comment:

Susan said...

Hi Harmanjit,
In similar lines, if evolution of humanity, its brain and thought process is a part of the natural phenomenon, does this leave any scope for choosing our actions? in other words, is the human behavior and action completely goverened by the rules set by nature? of course the uncertainity priniciple has to be considered. but uncertainity principle does not state that the universe doesnt have fixed set of rules. It only states that all the rules may not be predicted by science. it is similar to a computer program generating an output based on its input parameters and the algorithm used. we may still not be able to determine the output if the input parameters or the algorithm is not fully known. is it reasonable to assume that humans have the freedom to choose, may be within some defined boundaries. Though this may not be of any consequence as long as the sense of freedom of choice is retained in humans.