Tardigrades - Life on the extreme
Nominee Science & Media Awards 24
German Premier
Documentary / Raphaël Hitier / France/ 2024 / 52 min / German
They’re just the size of a pin, but tardigrades are one of the toughest creatures on Earth – and the most adorable! Now, researchers are investigating just how these microscopic cuties can survive the extreme temperatures, lack of oxygen, radiation and pulverizing pressure that would kill most every other animal – including us. From the vacuum of space to the forests of Italy, inside laboratories in Paris, Tokyo and Wyoming, elusive tardigrades reveal their secrets.
A scientific film full of humor and wonder, we recreate their microscopic universe using animation inspired by electron microscopy to explore their biology and environment. It’s a big dive into a tiny world, with lots of surprises in store.
In cooperation with ARTE.
Film discussion: They have spent years of their lives with the tiny survivalists, one filming, the other at the microscope and in the wild. What have they learned from the tardigrades?
