The simple study of colourful tarpaulins reveals the destruction of modern-day urbanisation at the hands of insects. Los Angeles is losing the fight against a growing infestation of termites, and the city’s best weaponry is tarpaulins. Vibrant temporary tents have now become part of the city landscape as the pest control patrol covers entire houses in colourful tarpaulin sheets to gas infested buildings, which are growing in numbers.
Lisa Truttmann’s imaginative and strangely charming documentary collects scenic shots of the tarpaulin landscape of the city, as she speaks to experts on pest control and urban entomology about this growing chaos of termite infestation – where in some areas 80% of structures are taken over by termites.
An experimentation on the visual depths of cinema and a story of fascinating insight, Tarpaulins is a perfect example of documentary as art.
Dir: Lisa Truttmann
United States / Austria / 2017 / 78mins