Microcosmos: Le peuple de l'herbe (1996)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Directors:

Claude Nuridsany
Marie Pérennou

Writers:

Claude Nuridsany (writer)
Marie Pérennou (writer)

Release Date:

9 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

It's Jurassic Park in your own back yard.

Plot:

A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography...

Plot Keywords:

Spider | Insect | Time Lapse Photography | Beetle | Snail

Awards:

7 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jacques Perrin	...	Récitant / Narrator (French version) (voice)
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Narrator (English version) (voice)

Directed by
Claude Nuridsany
Marie Pérennou

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Claude Nuridsany		writer
Marie Pérennou		writer

Produced by
Christophe Barratier	....	producer
Michel Fauré	....	executive producer
Philippe Gautier	....	executive producer
Jean-Marc Henchoz	....	co-producer
Patrick Lancelot	....	executive producer
André Lazare	....	executive producer
Yvette Mallet	....	producer
Jacques Perrin	....	producer

Original Music by
Bruno Coulais

Cinematography by
Thierry Machado
Claude Nuridsany		(interior scenes)
Marie Pérennou		(interior scenes)
Hugues Ryffel		(exterior scenes)

Film Editing by
Florence Ricard
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte

Production Management
Christophe Adda	....	unit production manager
Didier André	....	assistant production manager
Xavier Grin	....	unit production manager
Patricia Lignières	....	post-production supervisor
Olivier Rechou	....	unit production manager (as Olivier Réchou)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Renaud Dengreville	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Philippe Barbeau	....	sound
Bernard Leroux	....	sound
Jérôme Lévy	....	foley artist
Pascal Mazière	....	foley assistant
Laurent Quaglio	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Liliane Caille	....	special effects assistant
Jean-Pierre Maricourt	....	special effects
Christian Guillon	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Francois Baudelet	....	camera operator: aerial photography, remote control helicopter (as Jean-François Beaudelet)
Alexandre Bon	....	second assistant camera
Claude Bouteillon	....	developer: computerized remote control camera robot, Delta Images
Martin Boutilié	....	grip (as Martin Boutilie)
Frédéric Costa	....	technician: robotic camera operations
George Costa	....	technician: robotic camera operations
Alain Devèz	....	high speed camera operator
Michel Gallois	....	first assistant camera
François Gentit	....	Steadicam assistant (as François Gentil)
Thierry Machado	....	camera operator: aerial photography
Valentin Monge	....	Steadicam operator
Alexandre Monnier	....	first assistant camera
Roland Ory	....	helicopter pilot: aerial photography
Romano Prada	....	developer: computerized remote control camera robot, Delta Images
Charlet Recors	....	camera operator: aerial photography
Jean Claude Rémy	....	pilot: aerial photography, remote control helicopter
Bernard Ricon	....	developer: computerized remote control camera robot, Alten Industries
Philippe Romano	....	developer: computerized remote control camera robot, Alten Industries
Eric Tesseydre	....	still photographer
Gilles Tordjman	....	still photographer
Louis Vercraene	....	key grip (as Louis Varcraene)
Bernard Weber	....	first assistant camera

Editorial Department
Pauline Casalis	....	apprentice editor (as Pauline Cassalis)
Raymond Terrentin	....	color timer
Nabila Daniault	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Hugo Coulais	....	singer: children's voices
Louis Coulais	....	singer: children's voices
Christophe Guiot	....	conductor: orchestra
Marie Kobayashi	....	musician: mezzo-soprano
Didier Lizé	....	music engineer
France Tarpinian	....	music representative: Grand Large Music

Other crew
Monsieur Ansonnaud	....	consultant: insects
Gérard Arnold	....	consultant: insects
Monsieur Durand	....	consultant: insects
Luc Gomel	....	consultant: insects
Nathalie Gorgon	....	assistant to publicist
Michel Gries	....	consultant: insects
Robert Guilbot	....	consultant: insects
Hervé Guyot	....	consultant: insects
Gudrun Koeniger	....	consultant: insects (as Professor Gundrun Koeniger)
Jean Pierre Lumaret	....	consultant: insects, Université Montpellier (as Professor Lumaret)
Paulette Materne	....	production coordinator
Claude Missandeau	....	consultant: insects
Claude Morice	....	production coordinator
Michel Neff	....	consultant: insects
Professor Oppenoorth	....	consultant: insects, Universiteit van Amsterdam
Jacques Perrin	....	presenter
Catherine Pidoux	....	production coordinator
M. Rodin	....	consultant: insects, Institut Pasteur (as Professor Rodin)
Leon Rogez	....	consultant: insects, Cetonia (as Léon Rogez)
Eva Simonet	....	publicist
Jean-Pierre Vesco	....	consultant: insects

Thanks
Dominique Ambiel	....	special thanks
Joseph Bourdon	....	special thanks
Claude Caussanel	....	the producers wish to thank: scientific sponsorship
Marc Censi	....	special thanks
Michel Flaesch	....	special thanks
Pascal Imbert	....	special thanks
Henri Landes	....	special thanks
Jean Puech	....	special thanks
Hubert Reeves	....	the producers wish to thank: scientific sponsorship
Francois Servel	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Galatée Films (co-producer)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-producer)
• Canal+ (with the participation of)
• Bac Films (co-producer)
• Delta Images (co-producer)
• Les Productions JMH (co-producer)
• Urania Film (co-producer)
• Télévision Suisse-Romande (TSR) (co-producer) (as Télévision Suisse Romande)
• Conseil Général de l'Aveyron (with the participation of)
• Sivom des Monts et Lacs du Lévezou (with the participation of)
• Crédit Agricole (with the participation of)
• Région Midi-Pyrénées (with the participation of) (as Région Midi Pyrénées)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (with the participation of)
• Ministère de la Recherche et l'Enseignement Supérieur (with the participation of)
• Agencie Jules Verne (with the participation of)
• Office Fédéral de la Culture (with the participation of: Bern)
• Fondation GAN pour le Cinéma (with the support of)
• Procirep (with the support of)
• Eurimages (this film made possible by)

Distributors

• Bac Films (1996) (France) (theatrical)
• Éditions Montparnasse (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Fox Pathé Europa (2009) (France) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Kuzui Enterprises (1997) (Japan) (theatrical)
• NTV-PROFIT (1997) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Pathé! (1997) (UK) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (199?) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (199?) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Quality Film Collection)
• Alta Films (Spain)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (Greece) (VHS)
• Kamras Film Group (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Knowledge Network (2008) (Canada) (TV) (British Columbia)
• Miramax Films (USA) (dubbed)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Mundial Filmes (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Odeon (Greece) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1997) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Rosebud (Greece)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• VCL Communications (Germany) (video)
• Van Blad (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Ex Machina (digital effects)

Other Companies

• Alga-Samuelson  cameras (as Alga Samuelson)
• Alten Industries  computerized remote control camera robot developed by
• Banque OBC  with the support of
• Centre Cetonia  consulting and assistance concerning the insects (as Cetonia)
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)  special thanks (as Le C.N.R.S.)
• Cofiloisirs  with the support of
• Crédit Agricole  the producers wish to thank (as The Innovation Union at the Crédit Agricole Mutuel)
• Delta Images  computerized remote control camera robot developed by
• Eclair  laboratory
• Effects House, The  titles
• Faugère et Jutheau  insurance (as Faugère & Jutheau)
• Flycam  cameras
• Fuji  film
• Institut Pasteur  consulting and assistance concerning the insects
• Institut für Bienenkunde  consulting and assistance concerning the insects (as Institut fur Bienenkunde - Frankfurt)
• Le SIRPA  special thanks (as SIRPA Marine - Nîmes Base)
• Moving-Cam S.A.  aerial photography by remote control helicopter was produced by
• National Ministry of Education, The  the producers wish to thank
• ONF de Millau  consulting and assistance concerning the insects
• Office of Ecoentomology Information  consulting and assistance concerning the insects
• Paname Editions  music publisher
• Studio +30  music recorded at
• Studio Davout  music recorded at
• Studio de la Grande Armée  music recorded at
• Transpalux  lights
• Universiteit van Amsterdam  consulting and assistance concerning the insects
• Université Montpellier  consulting and assistance concerning the insects

Also Known As:

Microcosmos (Canada: English title) (USA)
Microcosmos - Il popolo dell'erba (Italy)
Çayirin sakinleri (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Microcosmos (Brazil) (DVD title) [pt]
Microcosmos - Fantástica Aventura da Natureza (Brazil) (video title) [pt]
Microcosmos - den lilla världen (Sweden) [sv]
Microcosmos, de Claude Nuridsany y Marie Pérennou (Spain) [es]
Microcosmos: O Povo da Erva (Portugal) [pt]
Mikrokosmos (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Mikrokosmos (Poland) [pl]
Mikrokosmos - Das Volk der Gräser (Germany) [de]
Mikrokosmos - gräsets folk (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Mikrokosmos - ruohikon kansa (Finland) [fi]
Mikrokosmos: Oi katoikoi tis hlois (Greece) [el]
Mikrokozmosz (Hungary) [hu]
Mikrokozmosz - A füvek népe (Hungary) [hu]

Runtime:

80 min | Japan:73 min

Country:

France | Switzerland | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | UK:U | South Korea:All | Australia:G | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Monts et Lacs du Lévézou, Aveyron, France

Company:

Galatée Films

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Quickie (2001)

My jaw was literally dropped through some of this film.

Amazing. There must have been millions of hours of footage shot to obtain these perfect sequences of magnified nature. Each segment was fascinating, beautiful, in some cases strangely emotional.

My jaw was literally dropped through much of this film. I even found myself wowing like a hippy and chuckling like Butthead many times. There were even some moments that I almost said, "No, that's not realistic. They made that up."

The soundtrack was almost non-existent, so you appreciated it more when the haunting music worked its way into a scene. The sound quality of the actual critters was very good as well. There is nearly no narrative or narration throughout the film -and that would be my only criticism -there should have been NONE. The movie was spectacular with no commentary, and the human voice for a brief moment in the beginning and end detracted from the alien environment.

This movie was not a documentary, it was just fine filmmaking that would only fall into the genre of "mind-f---".