This film is part of Rentals
The Ark: Survival of the Fittest
Molly Dineen reveals the inner workings of London Zoo as the institution is rocked by uncertainty and change in the first in a BAFTA-winning series of four films.
Director: Molly Dineen
Overview
Survival of the Fittest is the first in a series of four films in which director Molly Dineen reveals the inner workings of London Zoo as the institution is rocked by uncertainty and change. Accompanying the zoo’s keepers, managers and various animal residents during a period of profound crisis, the series is a delightful, candid and moving portrait of the passions and pressures at work within this much-loved menagerie. The most enduring impact of the film comes from the smallest moments of intimacy between the keepers and their animal charges, in particular birdkeeper Steve and Josephine the hornbill, neither of whom has a place in the proposed downsized zoo.
Winner of Best Factual Series at the BAFTA TV Awards in 1993.
Related
The Taste of Mango The Taste of Mango
Documentary 2023 75 mins Director: Chloe Abrahams
Sleepwalking into submerged depths of memory, a mother’s dream and a daughter’s beckoning, this fascinating film tenderly untangles the knots of the past.
2073 2073
Documentary 2024 83 mins Director: Asif Kapadia
Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia's unsettling drama-documentary delivers a powerful commentary on the state of the world today… and tomorrow.
A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things
Biopic 2024 88 mins Director: Mark Cousins
A striking portrait of an artist deserving of greater recognition, directed by Mark Cousins (A Story of Film).
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Documentary 2024 150 mins Director: Johan Grimonprez
Johan Grimonprez’s involving film essay, anchored by the rhythm of American jazz, reveals disturbing truths about the decolonial struggle between global political powers.
No Other Land No Other Land
Documentary 2024 92 mins Director: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham
This powerful documentary from a Palestinian-Israeli collective might be one of the most important films of this year.
South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic
Documentary 1919 81 mins Silent Director: Frank Hurley
An extraordinary story of survival in the wastes of Antarctica.
Sound Business Sound Business
Documentary 1981 57 mins Director: Molly Dineen
Molly Dineen’s directorial debut presents a fascinating look into sound system culture, as well as an important document in the history of Black British music.
In the Company of Men: The Brotherhood In the Company of Men: The Brotherhood
Documentary 1995 60 mins Director: Molly Dineen
This third and final film in Molly Dineen’s three-part series builds towards the ‘The Prince of Wales' company of the Welsh Guards’ symbolic victory parade in Brussels.
In the Company of Men: Commander In the Company of Men: Commander
Documentary 1995 59 mins Director: Molly Dineen
The first episode of Molly Dineen's three-part series follows Major Crispin Black as he considers the course his life could have taken if he hadn't joined the army.
The Lords' Tale The Lords' Tale
Documentary 2002 86 mins Director: Molly Dineen
Molly Dineen’s astute political documentary follows the abolition of hereditary peers and the resulting upheaval in parliament during the New Labour era.
My African Farm My African Farm
Documentary 1988 40 mins Director: Molly Dineen
Molly Dineen’s uncompromising portrait of spirited 78-year-old widow, Sylvia Richardson, on her farm in the foothills of Mount Kenya.
The Ark: The Political Animal The Ark: The Political Animal
Documentary 1993 59 mins Director: Molly Dineen
The third episode in documentary filmmaker Molly Dineen’s BAFTA-winning series The Ark.
The Taste of Mango The Taste of Mango
Documentary 2023 75 mins Director: Chloe Abrahams
Sleepwalking into submerged depths of memory, a mother’s dream and a daughter’s beckoning, this fascinating film tenderly untangles the knots of the past.
2073 2073
Documentary 2024 83 mins Director: Asif Kapadia
Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia's unsettling drama-documentary delivers a powerful commentary on the state of the world today… and tomorrow.
A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things
Biopic 2024 88 mins Director: Mark Cousins
A striking portrait of an artist deserving of greater recognition, directed by Mark Cousins (A Story of Film).
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Documentary 2024 150 mins Director: Johan Grimonprez
Johan Grimonprez’s involving film essay, anchored by the rhythm of American jazz, reveals disturbing truths about the decolonial struggle between global political powers.
No Other Land No Other Land
Documentary 2024 92 mins Director: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham
This powerful documentary from a Palestinian-Israeli collective might be one of the most important films of this year.
Small Things Like These Small Things Like These
Drama 2024 99 mins Director: Tim Mielants
Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy delivers a stunning performance as a coal merchant who discovers horrific secrets about his local convent.