The new documentary, which premieres at 4 p.m. Saturday during Moscow’s KINO Short Film Festival, follows a team of biologists from the University of Idaho as they pursue these fingernail-sized creatures across the archipelago to understand how species evolve and what they show us about the planet’s biodiversity.
The idea hatched over brunch in Portland in 2021. Brant Miller was describing his work with UI colleague Christine Parent when someone at the table blurted, “What? What are you talking about? Tell us more about snails!”
That was it. A film was born.
That moment stuck with filmmaker Jim Aikman, who was hooked by the far-fetched idea of creating a sweeping science documentary about “something as unlikely and ironic as a snail.”
Parent, affectionately known in the Galápagos as “The Caracolera” (The Snail Hunter), has documented the islands’ overlooked snail species for two decades. Professor Luke Harmon contributes expertise in evolutionary biology. Miller, a professor of education, investigates how real-world scientific adventure learning can engage the next generations of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, students.
“Snails are a vehicle for inquiry in science education,” Brant said.
Filmed against volcanic terrain, lush forests and coastal cliffs, the documentary captures the thrill of scientific discovery and the grueling realities of remote fieldwork. Despite the green backdrop, the Galápagos is dry. The crew had to bring seven days’ worth of fresh water for nine people into unforgiving terrain. It’s science on survival mode.
Parent didn’t set out to fall for the tiny, nondescript snail. But two decades later, she’s still chasing them across lava fields.
“They’re not flashy,” she said. “But they tell us so much about how nature actually works.”
The hourlong film follows the team as they scour the islands for the elusive gastropods, working to understand how the snails fit into the ecosystem’s dynamics.
Though not a competition entry in the KINO Short Film Festival, “The Snail Hunters” aligns with the festival’s growing focus on documentary and expressive cinematography, festival director Kyle Howerton said.
Its inclusion reflects a growing interest in documentary filmmaking, Howerton said, and expands the creative conversations the festival aims to inspire.
, the film’s director, will join the scientists at Saturday’s screening at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre for a post-screening Q&A.
IF YOU GO
KINO Short Film Festival, Moscow
- 3 p.m. Friday, free screening/Q&A, Mikey’s Gyros, 527 S. Main St.
- 7 p.m. Friday, main screening, Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, 508 S. Main St. ($8 or with festival pass).
- 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, workshops, University of Idaho Radio-TV Center, 901 Campus Drive (with festival pass).
- 4 p.m. Saturday, free red carpet premiere of "The Snail Hunters,” Kenworthy.
- 7 p.m. Saturday, "Year of the Fox" (2023) screening, followed by Q&A with Moscow High School and UI graduate Megan Griffiths. ($8 or with festival pass).
- 9:30 p.m. Saturday, free festival wrap party, Hunga Dunga Brewing, 333 N. Jackson St.
Tickets: $8 or $20 for a festival pass that includes all screenings, workshops and festival parties, at kinofilmfest.org/tickets.
