THE LITTLETHINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD

2025 • Documentary

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Availability

In-person

  • Available until Nov 30, 2026

  • Available Worldwide

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About the film

Over millennia, humanity has mastered agriculture, raised monumental bridges and temples, walked on the Moon, but do we truly run the world? In this captivating documentary, filmmakers Dru Carr and Doug Hawes-Davis refocus their lens on a far more powerful force: insects. By zooming in on the reality of bees, butterflies, beetles, and their kin—tiny, alien-like architects of life—they reveal how these distant cousins on our evolutionary tree sustain ecosystems and, ultimately, our own survival. As they face unprecedented decline, their fate becomes a stark warning: without them, neither we nor the planet can endure. Even still, there is hope!

Director

Doug Hawes-Davis, Dru Carr

Producer

Doug Hawes-Davis

Crew

Damon Ristau, Ken Furrow

Upcoming screenings

Awards & recognition

Colorado Environmental Film Festival

Official Selection

International Documentary Film Festival of Uruguay

Official Selection

Beholders - Documentary Dialogues

International Premiere

Better Cities Film Festival

Festival Highlight

Sidewalk Film Festival

Official Selection

Twelve Lions Film Festival

Best Cinematography

Mesa International Film Festival

Official Selection

Poulsbo Film Festival

Best Feature Film

St. Louis International Film Festival

Official Selection

San Diego Environmental Film Festival

Official Selection

San Diego Movie Awards

Best Documentary Feature

Buenos Aires International Film Festival

Finalist

Santa Clarita International Film Festival

Official Selection

Lighthouse International Film Festival

Jen Snyder-Bryceland Award Winner

Richmond International Film Festival

Grand Jury Nominee

International Movie Awards Indie

Best Documentary Feature

Ceres Food Film Festival

Spirit Award Winner

East Lansing Film Festival

Best Documentary

Frozen River Film Festival

Official Selection

Orion International Film Festival

Best Environmental Film

Skyfire Environmental Film Festival

Official Selection

What people are saying

We honor a film that champions a crucial environmental theme with artistic mastery, transforming what could be a purely academic subject into an accessible and deeply engaging cinematic experience. More importantly, it leaves us with a sense of wonder and a gentle, optimistic call to action, inspiring us to appreciate and protect the delicate balance of our natural world. It’s a mesmerizing exploration of the vital yet often overlooked role of insects in our global ecosystem. It is both scientifically rigorous and visually stunning, taking us on a journey into the intricate world of these tiny creatures, and reminding us how fundamental they are to life as we know it.

Lighthouse International Film Festival Jury

Lighthouse International Film Festival

"THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD is a passionate and comprehensive deep dive into the ecological crisis facing flying insects and the ripple effects on global biodiversity."

Staff

Doc Screenings International Film Festival

"With enchanting visuals and playful vignettes, this film reveals how cities depend on global biodiversity, from insects to plants, to sustain life and human well-being. It’s a powerful reminder that urban life is deeply connected to the wider natural world, and that healthy cities require the vitality of all species"

Staff

Better Cities Film Festival

Life on Earth is in the middle of a major re-alignment of species composition. The smallest of creatures – insects – hold the fabric of all life together. They are the most numerous of all animal groups on the planet. But insects are declining at an alarming rate throughout the world, threatening innumerable species, whole ecosystems, and even our food systems with collapse. This is story about untangling the mysteries as to why something so ubiquitous – and seemingly endless – could be on the cusp of disappearing entirely. It is also the story of heroic efforts to save these most vulnerable of creatures.

Staff

IndieWire