Strangers in the Dark

Strangers in the Dark is an experimental film of how light pollution makes glow-worms’ love life a living hell. Combining different techniques from animation to archive material, the film follows a glow-worm’s attempts to find a partner in an environment that is no longer dark at night. The story about light and darkness moves from the scale of planetary to microscopic, from the calmness of nature to a hectic city and from artificial light to the green shimmer of the glow-worm's behind.

The directors of the film will provide an introduction to the screening. The discussion that follows addresses the topic of biodiversity in cities. Speakers include urban planning and sustainability experts from UN-Habitat’s Urban Practices Branch and the City of Tampere, Finland. Tampere is proud to host the Nature Forum for Cities in 2024.

The film gives a glimpse into the life of urban fauna and presents challenges brought about by elements of urbanization. It prompts us to contemplate on the effects of human settlements on nature, including the very smallest of wildlife. Urban pollution, including light pollution – the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally – can negatively affect living beings.

Actions taken at the local level can have a significant impact locally on the environment as well as on ecosystem services. In addition to immediate effects, protecting the world’s biodiversity, our web of life, is a global imperative. Biodiversity is also humanity’s strongest natural defense against climate change. Climate change and biodiversity loss are interlinked and need to be tackled together, if we are to advance sustainable development and secure a viable future on this planet. By preserving and promoting biodiversity, cities can better withstand climate impacts, improve the quality of life for residents, and contribute to global climate change mitigation efforts.

This illustrates that even the smallest of species – such as glow-worms – are important in maintaining healthy ecosystems and enhancing biodiversity in urban areas.