An unexpected tale involving man vs. rodent hits the Cinema Arts Centre Thursday, Oct.11 at 7:30pm.
Filmmakers Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer have produced the quirky and compelling offbeat environmental documentary RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE on 20-pound giant swamp rats known as “nutria”. These creatures are more than mere nuisances: their enormous appetite is devouring the Louisiana wetlands faster than it can grow back.
As the coastline rapidly diminishes, in part because of the nutria, the region becomes more vulnerable to hurricanes. But the people of the Cajun are a force to be reckoned with and those that have stayed despite losing everything are fighting back.
Thomas Gonzales, a fisherman from Delacroix Island, has been plagued with decades of hurricanes, natural disasters and oil spills. Against the odds he continues to live on his family’s land, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and those before him. Thomas is known as the king of nutria hunters. He and many locals supplement their income by hunting nutria and receive a $5 bounty from the State of Louisiana for every tail collected. This is a part of the Nutria Control Program, which has significantly helped lower the invasive population and promotes economic growth. Thomas’s heartwarmingly raw journey is one of the unique stories captured that tells a part of the South Louisiana culture which is largely unknown.
RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE is nearing the end of its national screening tour. Filmmaker Jeff Springer said we can expect a shorter network version to be broadcasted by next year on PBS. Meet Jeff for a Q & A directly after the October 11th showing at the Cinema Arts Centre.