Billions of Bugs
First film concert
Billions of Bugs is a production by Theater De Spiegel
Coproduction with De Studio as part of M HKA-De Studio producties
Direction/concept/scenography
Karel Van Ransbeeck
Music
Annelies Van Parys, Jutta Troch and Astrid Bossuyt
Performance/Harp
Jutta Troch
Performance/violin
Astrid Bossuyt
Insect figures
Gino Rizzi
Decor
Wim Van de Vyver
Selection film fragments
Karel Van Ransbeeck and Marc Verstappen
Montage and technoloogy
Mirko De Beule, Nils Janssens, Alain Ongenaet and Zoë Bossuyt
Movie sources
“The Grasshopper and the Ant”, 1954, Lotte Reiniger courtesy of BFI National Archive
“Voice of the Nightingale”, 1923, Ladislas Starewitch copyright collection Martin-Starewitch
“Bzzz’T”, 2012, animatiefilm, copyright Isabel Bouttens

In every square metre of our earth, we find hundreds of creepy crawlies. Sweet ones, nasty ones, tiny ones, fascinating ones… Insects! We think we know them. Yet they continue to surprise us and spark our imagination. The very first film-makers were also fascinated by the overwhelming magnificence of so many small creatures.
Cinema De Spiegel juggles with the roots of cinema: from Lumière to the first film experiments. From artists to scientific film material. In the treasure trove of film archives, Theater De Spiegel has discovered old film clips in which insects play the starring role. That very first footage is projected onto various screens in different ways. Plastic art objects, inspired by the wonderful insect world, enrich the performance.
A harpist and violinist provide a buzzing musical and theatrical accompaniment. Cinema De Spiegel surprises us with an astonishing multi-media cinematic concert.





Billions of Bugs is a production by Theater De Spiegel
Coproduction with De Studio as part of M HKA-De Studio producties
Direction/concept/scenography
Karel Van Ransbeeck
Music
Annelies Van Parys, Jutta Troch and Astrid Bossuyt
Performance/Harp
Jutta Troch
Performance/violin
Astrid Bossuyt
Insect figures
Gino Rizzi
Decor
Wim Van de Vyver
Selection film fragments
Karel Van Ransbeeck and Marc Verstappen
Montage and technoloogy
Mirko De Beule, Nils Janssens, Alain Ongenaet and Zoë Bossuyt
Movie sources
“The Grasshopper and the Ant”, 1954, Lotte Reiniger courtesy of BFI National Archive
“Voice of the Nightingale”, 1923, Ladislas Starewitch copyright collection Martin-Starewitch
“Bzzz’T”, 2012, animatiefilm, copyright Isabel Bouttens