Ants and Grasshoppers - Film Review

"Upon first introduction to Anita Chitaya - the social activist heroine at the very heart of ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ - it’s as clear as the endless skies above her Malawian village that she’s exactly the type of fiercely passionate leader who so often signals the sign of a change to come. Beginning with re-framing the mindsets of men in her village, so that they might pick up a garden hoe or cooking ladle in support of the women in their home, Chitaya soon sets her sights on conquering another great weight upon her community's mind - climate change. In a journey which will take her across the globe, the story of ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ has begun.

One of the great tools utilised by ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ filmmakers to put across their message is scale. Beginning with uncertainties over small patches of land which comprise the livelihood of a local village at the beginning of this film, and building to poor crop yields across hundreds and hundreds of acres, the threat of climate change is shown to be a very real danger all around the planet. By showing audiences the way in which lives are affected on all levels, there’s a great feeling of urgency for Anita Chitaya’s mission to be a success. Each meeting which culminates in shared values and hopeful optimism for the future, feels like a positive for the viewer too - because, of course, it is. There’s a clear message of a united planet within this film, and whether as individuals we appear on that silver screen or not, we all have a part to play in tackling the issue at hand.

Filmmakers Raj Patel and Zak Piper take a very hands-free approach to how events play out within their story - perhaps because most of the time they aren’t the ones leading the story. This journey of a travelling leader setting out to spread the word of sustainable resources and clean energy is one which could have many unpredictable repercussions. You’re never sure if the farmers encountered will embrace the message of sustainability with warmth and understanding, but always hope that they will. Like any adventure, there are highs and lows which comprise the journey, but in the case of such an urgent call for help which outlines the purpose of this particular story, moments of misunderstanding which so often conclude the meetings shown, can culminate in a feeling of hopelessness which you have to look no further than Chitaya’s disparate expressions to find. But she never stops fighting. In her own words “It’s discouraging, but I still have faith.”

                                    Raj  Patel  Credit Sheila Menezes                         Zak Piper Courtesy  Dartmouth Films 

Although ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ may not be anything we haven’t seen before in terms of documentary structure, with each new interaction and each new scene playing out methodically and in clear detail, this approach to the story allows the overall message to remain unquestioningly direct throughout. Every moment of the film, and every conversation which we hear, is centered around the concern of climate change. A viewer could watch only five minutes from any point within the film, and they’d pick up the ethos with ease. Our leading heroines only want one thing - to better the mindsets of the world around them so that we might all work towards a hopeful future, and the filmmakers should be given credit for allowing their message to remain loud and clear throughout. It’s a protest film, one which might one day be shown in classes as a means for students to better understand their world. It educates its viewers through dialogue and discussion, and may be a piece of art which future audiences look back on as a sign of change. The only question which remains is whether that change will have been for better or for worse - a question which can’t be answered in words but in action. The examples set by Anita Chitaya and her community are ones which ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ place on a grand pedestal, and encourage the world around it to look upon and learn from.