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Sneaking in dark ideas

Jilli Rose uses the traditionally light-hearted medium of animation to tell the sad story of a very important stick insect.

11 Feb 2014

David Tiley

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Television

At 15cm, the Lord Howe Stick Insect is an impressive beast. It lives quietly on vegetation, and the males bond with the females, and follow them. By the time the invading rats had finished eating them on the island in 1920, they joined the list of extinct species.

For conservationists, that is a devastating fact. Communicating the loss is a passion. But this story has a twist which makes it a wonderful metaphor, on which Jilli Rose has been able to construct a redemptive film which also stamps on your heart.

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David Tiley

David Tiley was the Editor of Screenhub from 2005 until he became Content Lead for Film in 2021 with a special interest in policy. He is a writer in screen media with a long career in educational programs, documentary, and government funding, with a side order in script editing. He values curiosity, humour and objectivity in support of Australian visions and the art of storytelling.