THE BIGGEST PICTURE presents an Environmental Triple Bill
CANE TOADS: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY
(Mark Lewis, 1992, 48 min.)
LOST WORLDS: LIFE IN THE BALANCE
(Bayley Silleck, 2007, 40 min., narrated by Harrison Ford)
THE BEEKEEPERS
(2008, 28 min., color) with filmmaker Richard Robinson
7:00 pm, Carver Healing Arts Gallery
Admission Free

In 1935 the devastation wrought by the cane beetle on Queensland’s sugar crop pressured the Australian government to import Hawaiian cane toads by the sack load. Cane Toads points out that within decades the toads had reproduced at rates to be considered a nuisance, as well as upsetting a delicate ecological balance – one female can lay 40,000 eggs per summer! Introduction of a foreign species, flora or fauna, has become a major issue in the era of globalization. By the way, the toad never really took to the cane beetle – stray dogs were a favorite though. “Humorous, an absolute delight!” – The New York Times

Lost Worlds is a visual exploration of the interconnectedness of all species and the growing imbalance between them from locations around the globe.

The Beekeepers is an experimental documentary film that explores Colony Collapse Disorder: due to the changing environment, bees all over the world are dying. With beekeeping threatened with extinction, VCUarts Photography and Film grad Richard Robinson’s film charts the history of this ancient profession, searching for answers to its current plight while daring the documentary form to be as artful and mysterious as its subject. Come see for yourself why The Beekeepers was an official selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Robinson will be available for a Q&A session after the screening. See the Richard Robinson website.

Sponsored by The Biggest Picture, Richmond’s 2nd annual environmental film festival, scheduled for May 16 & 17, 2009 at The Byrd Theatre.