The Rotten World About Us
(1980)
Conducting a survey of all things rotten and rancid, this production was the dream child of renowned wildlife producer Barry Paine. Waiting over twenty years for the opportunity to complete the microscopic study, Paine enlisted the specialist filming techniques of Oxford Scientific Films, practically wrecking their laboratories by filling the entire premises with fungal spores.
Providing an informative and intriguing view into the complex world of mycology, electron microscopy was used to reveal, for the first time, an unseen world of mould, mildew and mushrooms. Thriving on the decay they induce, fungal threads weave their way through their surrounding environment, the high resolution images of these minuscule organisms shedding light on their growth, nourishment and subsequent dispersal.
Using advanced time lapse photography, The Rotten World About Us explores the entire decay process, from the critical role fungi plays in food webs to some of its more unusual symbiotic relationships.
Broadcast as part of the BBC's The World About Us strand, the production uses innovative filming methods to deliver an eye-opening account of Britain's extraordinarily 'rotten' world.
