It’s been a little while since the last #UbuntuintheWild spot but this one feels like a fitting return given it’s quite literally in the wild!
The wilds of the Eastern Himalayan forests, in fact.
Nature documentary Nocturnes, directed and produced by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, follows scientists as they undertake a research trop deep in to these dense, fertile forests to monitor, assess, and learn more about the lives of hawk moths.
I’ll admit: on paper, it doesn’t sound like the most engaging film.
But the critical reception suggests it’s worth seeking out. It’s praised for lush cinematography, a transportive soundscape, and a ‘mediative’ documentary approach offering a rare glimpse at an ephemeral world otherwise hidden from view.
As much an experience as a film.
Now, I haven’t seen Nocturnes myself but OMG! Ubuntu reader Nicolas has, and he e-mailed in to tell me that mid-way through through the film Ubuntu appears:
“The scientist studying the moths, Mansi, uses Ubuntu. In one scene in particular you can see her screen very well, with a familiar Ubuntu desktop and apps”, adding that the scientist is shown using GIMP to sift through the snaps, which also pretty cool.
Nocturnes (not to be confused with Amazon’s horror film Nocturne) premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival (where it also won awards).
Streaming availability is, much like those hawk moths, a little hard to find right now but the film is popping up at cinemas and indie film festivals around the world.
And if those Ubuntu codenames cycle back around to “M” perhaps a moniker like Mediative Moth might be in order…
Thanks Nicolas!