Acera, or the Witches' Dance

Acera, or the Witches' Dance 1972

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In mud flats along the coast of Brittany we watch acera, small ball-shaped mollusks that are about two inches in diameter. They rest in mud; then, in water, they dance, their skirt-like hood spreading like a dervish's cassock. They spin and spin. The film adds musical accompaniment. We watch them mate and secrete eggs: acera are both male and female, and can form chains with other acera in which they simultaneously mate as a male and as a female. The eggs hatch, and the cycle begins again.

  • Released: 1972-01-01
  • Runtime: 13 minutes
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Stars:
  • Director: Jean Painlevé, Geneviève Hamon