Grasshopper Republic

A feast of sight, sound, and insects. Daniel McCabe directs this verité doc set in the small Ugandan village of Bundibugyo, where workers harvest grasshoppers by any means necessary—sodium lights, flour, corrugated steel barrels—and sell the culinary delicacy in open-air markets.Inspired by the photographic book, “Nsenene,” by Michele Sibiloni, GRASSHOPPER REPUBLIC stunningly illustrates the intersection of nature in its purest form and the human desire to capitalize on it for profit. This visually immersive experience, set to an ominous soundtrack, features a team of trappers preparing for the annual grasshopper harvest in the rural town of Bundibugyo in western Uganda. Equipped with massive generators and lights that will emanate an eerie neon glow to attract their unsuspecting prey, the men set up camp and patiently await the oppressive swarms of insects. For these men living in poverty, the sale of these local delicacies will mean fortunes for their families. But at what cost? Through vivid imagery, the film displays the struggles and triumphs of the trappers, alongside the mesmerizing beauty of grasshoppers in their natural element. —A.B.Warning: This film may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy.