Palingdans
Documentary about the mysterious sex life of the eel. With the eel threatened with extinction, research into its reproduction takes on a new urgency.
Documentary
Please note that this film is in Dutch, English and Japanese, with Dutch subtitles.
For centuries, it has failed. Meanwhile, nothing less than the survival of the species is at stake. PALINGDANS follows a colourful group as they try to unravel the mystery of eel reproduction. The search leads past a laboratory in Volendam and follows an expedition to the Sargasso Sea. Will the eel reveal its secret after all? In Japan, where ‘unagi’ is enormously popular, eel lover Kenichi has fallen completely under the spell of the enigmatic animal. With never-before-seen underwater footage, director Hans Dortmans pays tribute to the hidden and graceful (sex) life of this elusive animal.
Hans Dortmans, Netherlands, 2024, 72 min. Dutch, English & Japanese spoken, Dutch subtitles.