Ep 11. Rat Film

In season 19's eleventh episode of Independent Lens, viewers are taken on a journey through the city of Baltimore with the documentary Rat Film. The film explores the history and complexity of the city's rat infestation problem, as well as how it relates to issues of racial inequality and social justice.

Directed by Theo Anthony, the film takes a unique and imaginative approach to investigating the issue of urban rat populations. Rather than a traditional documentary style, Rat Film is structured as a series of meditations on the ways in which rats and humans interact with each other and the environment around them. This includes extensive use of archive footage, animation, and even an original rap song about the city's rat problem.

The film's exploration of the rat problem in Baltimore is just the beginning of a larger investigation into the city's social and political history. Anthony links the rat infestation to broader issues, such as redlining policies and the development of inner-city ghettos. The film argues that the situation cannot be fully understood without considering the ways in which various urban systems intersect and reinforce each other, and that there can be no real solution without addressing these underlying problems.

One of the key themes of Rat Film is the relationship between humans and animals, and how attitudes towards certain species often reflect larger social and political issues. For example, the film explores how rats have historically been linked to disease and filth, and have thus been associated with marginalized groups such as African Americans. The film also notes that rats are often viewed as pests that must be eliminated, rather than as living beings with intrinsic value. Through interviews with exterminators, scientists, and activists, Rat Film delves into the various ways in which humans have tried to control and exploit rat populations over the years.

Another major focus of the film is the use of technology and scientific knowledge in controlling rats. We see how various methods of rat control, from traps to poison to genetic manipulation, have been developed and implemented over time. However, the film also raises questions about the unintended consequences of these methods, such as the emergence of resistant rat populations or the toxic effects of some poisons on other animals. At times, Rat Film takes on a dystopian tone as it imagines a future world where rats have been completely eradicated, and the ethical implications of such an outcome.

Throughout the documentary, Anthony skillfully weaves together various narrative threads to build a complex and layered portrait of Baltimore and its rat problem. The film is both engaging and thought-provoking, urging viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about systemic inequality and the ways in which we relate to the natural world. Rat Film is a powerful piece of filmmaking that raises important questions about the future of urban life and the role that humans play in shaping it.