The Strength and Agility of Insects (1911)

Directed by

F. Percy Smith

Genre

documentary film, silent film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

4 min

Rating

6.0 of 10 from 1 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This short silent documentary shows close-up footage of houseflies and other insects. The insects hold and move various small objects with their legs.

curiouslightwhimsicalobservationalpreciseunhurriedintriguinggentle

What happens

The Strength and Agility of Insects is a 1911 British short silent documentary film, directed by F. Percy Smith, featuring close-ups of houseflies and other insects secured and juggling various objects with their feet. The films in this series, which included The Acrobatic Fly (1910), "caused an absolute furore when they were first shown to the public," and, according to Jenny Hammerton of the BFI, Smith, whose stated intention "was of course to entertain the public, but also to demonstrate the strength and agility of those insects we might unthinkingly squash or swat when they settle on our lunch," "was forced to justify his methods in the press, guaranteeing that there was no trickery involved and certainly no cruelty." (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

• The Acrobatic Fly (1910)
• Spiders on a Web (1900)
• Mosquinha (1905)
• In Japan (1911)
• Trip Through the North of England (1910)
• A Day with the Circus (1911)
• The Life of the Butterfly (1911)
• Summer Babies (1911)