The Mouse
2012
The Mouse is an art/documentary film about the complex and contradictory position of the mouse in our lives. The relationship between mice and men began around ten thousand years ago, when humans became residents of permanent dwellings and mice in turn began stealing food and warmth from them. Today, the mouse has a broad and important impact on our everyday lives. At the beginning of the twentieth century, scientists were searching for a stand-in for human to perform medical experiments on; their eyes fell on mouse clubs and fanciers who competed to breed the perfect mouse. The species turned out to be an excellent test subject, since its rapid rate of reproduction allows scientists to efficiently observe the effects of genetic expression. This paved the way for a revolution in medical treatment of various diseases: without the mouse, our lives would be a lot shorter and a lot less healthy.
The film is structured as a trip through a laboratory maze, in which interviews, tableaux, and objects intersect with the meandering path of a small mouse. In addition to exploring the use of mice in medical research, the film touches on their role in religious practice, space travel, and psychological phobias.
The Mouse was shot between 2009 and 2011 in Sweden, England, the United States, India, China, and Taiwan.
STILLS FROM THE FILM
PROCESS PHOTOS
Photos: Lars Siltberg
EXCERPTS FROM THE FILM
CREDITS "The Mouse," 2012 25 min. HD Written and directed by Bigert & Bergström Director of photography Lars Siltberg Adam Wakeling Bigert & Bergström Editor Niklas Berglund Music David Östberg Goran Kaifes Sounddesign and mix David Östberg Graphic design Johan Hierpe Digital effects/Grading Lars Siltberg Props Fido Film Aron Heinemann Studio assistants Jens Lind Cecilia Runesson Research Cecilia Runesson Tove Kjellmark Thanks to the participants The personnel at Karolinska Institutet Anticimex Peter Samson Petersen, Djurtransport Anna Karlstedt, Psychiatrist Jacke Sjödin, Patient Lu Yang, artist Beijing Tom Kling Bigert The Mice: Pip, Brain, Albino, Night Vision & Super Sonic Produced by Bigert & Bergström in co-production with SVT Documentaries, project manager Kaisa Westling and Helena Ingelsen, with support from The Swedish Film Institute, film consultant Andra Lasmanis. © Bigert & Bergström 2012
