Darwin's Nightmare

In the 1950s or 1960s, the Nile perch was released into the Lake Victoria. In just a few decades, the large, voracious predator has all but eliminated the other species of fish, turning the lake into an ecological wasteland. "But economically, it's good" -- and indeed, perch fillet is Tanzania's best selling export to Europe. Fishermen, factory workers, civil servants, pilots of cargo aircrafts, delegates of the European Commission, communities living around Lake Victoria: plenty of people are involved in some way in this new industry. But if Africa exports hundreds of tons of premium-priced fish each day, what exactly do Africans get in return?

"Hubert Sauper's harrowing, indispensable documentary about Tanzania presents the agonized human face of globalization."
-- A.O. Scott, NEW YORK TIMES

"Darwin's Nightmare is many things, including an environmental cautionary tale, a critique of globalization and a portrait of a community, country and continent in deep crisis."
-- Ann Hornaday, WASHINGTON POST

"an unforgettable film that ranks as mandatory viewing for anyone who's concerned with the plight of Africa"
-- Matt McKillop, FILMCRITIC.COM

"With a roving eye and an attentive heart, Sauper's film takes in everyone involved in this miasma."
-- Gene Seymour, NEWSDAY

"Sauper captures a world in which life and death are treated with equal practicality -- and disregard."
-- Elizabeth Weitzman, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

"[A] despairing, essential documentary."
-- BOSTON GLOBE