Nocturnes is a painstakingly hypnotic documentary that gently draws you in with its breathtaking stillness and soundscape. It is a warm, comforting embrace of a viewing experience that still manages to contain a startling warning.

In the dead of night, against the enchanting forest backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, a pair of nocturnal scientists illuminate a hidden, microscale world. This region, known for its rich biodiversity and unique ecosystem, provides the perfect setting for our exploration of the moths’ fascinating behavior.

A documentary about the study of moths and their moving patterns in the Himalayas should not enthral you as much as Nocturnes does. Co-directors Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan have cleverly devised a way to bring the audience on the journey and make them feel like they are a part of that journey and study. As our researcher Mansi Mungee and her assistant Gendan “Bicki” Marphew, who provides a unique perspective with his local knowledge, intricately try to work out what they are seeing from their research, we are right there with them, learning and questioning alongside them. Why are the moths moving further up the mountains? You become fully immersed in what they are doing, and the 85 minutes fly by.

From a technical perspective, Nocturnes is a wonder of macro cinematography. When we get each of those moments when the team places that squared screen down and the moths make their way onto it, you are astounded by the beauty of what you are seeing. The team focuses on one specific moth species, but we are just taken aback at the beauty on show. Never would we be able to see these insects in such a manner as they live in their habitat.

From a sensory viewpoint, we are almost overwhelmed with what we see and hear. From the detail and care put into documenting these insects to how Dutta and Srinivasan capture their location, you are in continuous awe. Then we have the added impact of hearing the sounds of the animals themselves, their movements from their wings, and even the sounds of the forest. You are entirely engrossed and nearly taken away from it all. It’s a marvellous feat of filmmaking that we see in Nocturnes.

However, that is only part of what the film offers us; it is also an educational tool about moths. Some of them only live for a few days, that’s it, such a small amount of time, yet they have been on the planet for 300 million years with over 150,000 animal species around today. For Mungee, there is a reason this research is occurring that is concerning. She is particularly interested in understanding why the moths and other insects are moving up the mountain, and whether this is causing them to change in size, etc, due to the altitude. These are crucial questions that could provide valuable insights into the effects of climate change on high-altitude ecosystems.

In the last few minutes, we are presented with the lecture on her research, which is a stark surmising from Mungee. If the temperatures keep rising down where the smaller moths live, they will look to move upslope to stay at the temperature they are acclimatised to. This in turn causes other animals that hunt those moths to also move upslope, leaving the ground level without the creatures that are used to fertilise it.

It’s a stark look at what is happening and what could happen to the planet by just looking at one species, causing that fact to be the perfect button for Nocturnes. While all of this is breathtaking and even overwhelmingly beautiful, it can and may be lost as we know it. This poignant revelation underscores the urgent need for us to understand and address the impact of climate change on our planet’s biodiversity.

It would be easy to go on for another few hundred words salivating over the look and feel of Nocturnes to you, but it would be moot; this is a film you need to watch that you need to allow to wrap you up tightly and enjoy. Don’t let this one slip by if you have the chance.

★★★★ 1/2

For more coverage of Sheffield Doc Fest 2024, please check out the reviews below.

Black Snow

Britain’s Forgotten Prisoners

Plastic People

Her Name Was Moviola

My Sextortion Diary

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