At night our mattresses become a community, teeming with a multitude of mites. They sometimes fight and devour each other. Some are predators, others are their prey, still others are scavengers, thriving on dead skin. Looking like aliens, these parasites adapt to all elements: earth, air, and even water. If some mites are notorious for causing disease and allergies, others are extremely beneficial. Using state of the art microscopy technology, the film shows us a world we never dreamed possible, where mites wage terrible battles over food and territory. Also highlighted are killer mites being raised to work hard in Disneyland, and mites that are the most delicious cheese-makers – if you can stand the sound of them! Directed by Thierry Berrod, France, 1999, 50 min.

For more information about Cannibal Mites, contact Mona Lisa Productions