ANIMALS DISTRACT ME (FILM)
Summary
A documentary about actress Isabella Rossellini’s personal affinity for animals, and her musings about them. Isabella Rossellini has always had a lifelong attachment to animals, even from early childhood. Now she is studying animal behavior and biology at university and has interacted with all manner of animals all over the world. She moved to the countryside with her children and pets, and raises guide dogs. She shows the progression of one of them, a yellow lab named Sweetie, from birth to adulthood. Sweetie is staying with Rossellini for an entire year; the documentary shows Sweetie accompanying Rossellini on her day in Manhattan, along with her various animal-related “distractions.” She starts by taking Sweetie along with her to a photo shoot for famous photographer Fabrizio Ferri. While there, she contemplates about the demodex, a microscopic creature that lives on eyelashes and feeds on dead skin. While at her photo shoot, Isabella hears the voice of Charles Darwin, who speaks to her about the specific adaptations of the demodex. Sweetie also accompanies Isabella to a meeting with fashion expert André Leon Talley about an exhibition of her mother’s gowns. She again finds herself distracted and “Darwin” describes Sweetie’s perception of the world. Isabella recounts her parents, actress Ingrid Bergman and filmmaker Roberto Rossellini. The first film they made together was “Stromboli,” set on the eponymous volcanic island. She discusses one scene in particular where the fisherman of Stromboli fish tuna out of the ocean. She discusses modern problems surrounding the fishing industry, especially the fishing of tuna and the systematic de-finning of sharks. Later that day she meets with chef Mario Batali to discuss how to create a “guilt-free” meal. They talk about the importance of selecting good sources for ingredients. While attempting to conduct studies on animals, Isabella once again becomes distracted and her mind wanders. Darwin appears again to discuss the thought processes of dogs. They go on to discuss the adaptations of certain animals to urban environments and how in Darwin’s time evolution was rejected to reinforce a scientific idea of racial superiority. He points out the commonality of gestures and expressions and outlines how photography in its earliest days, as opposed to art, was used to properly capture human expression. In the middle of their discussion Darwin leaves and Isabella attempts to follow, stepping into an imaginary cityscape wherein she is a giant. While there, she observes various examples of urban wildlife. She returns home on the train with Sweetie and ponders the evolution of wolves into dogs. She notes the large role that humans played in this evolution and how it is an example of a symbiotic relationship. The film ends as she arrives home to her dogs.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 2011
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:29
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 105173
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Don Faller … Executive Producer
- Jeff Hasler … Executive Producer
- Lynn Sadofsky … Executive Producer
- Rick Gilbert … Producer
- Autumn Tarleton … Producer
- Isabella Rossellini … Director, Writer
- Tony Pettine … Director
- Jody Shapiro … Director
- John Bohannon … Writer
- Andy Byers … Music by
- Dave Tuss … Music by
- Danny Tuss … Music by
- Campbell Scott … Voice, Charles Darwin
- Mario Batali
- Ingrid Bergman
- Fabrizio Ferri
- Isabella Rossellini
- Roberto Rossellini
- André Leon Talley