CineVegas 2009

Japan is obsessed with bugs. While people of many other countries fear beetles, millipedes and all other manner of creepy crawlies, the Japanese love and respect them. Insects are glorified there: they're sold live in vending machines and department stores; they're the subject of the No. 1 videogame MushiKing; and a single beetle recently sold for $90,000. Insects have been an integral part of the centuries-old traditions of the country, once described as the “Isle of the Dragonflies.” They've service both business and pleasure well, been incorporated into literature and art, and are deeply intertwined with spiritualism and religion. In a tiny land where urbanism is swelling, insects were reintroduced into surrounding forests to promote environmental and human unity.

Kids and adults alike will have that same love for insects after seeing BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO. Gorgeous imagery puts insects and society under a microscope, linking people with the strength of beetles, the music of crickets, the magic of fireflies and the endless colors of butterflies. The images tell revealing stories and myths of Japan, people and bugs. Harmony is needed between man and nature. Bugs are integral to that harmony — and we are the lucky ones for that.