Synopsis
Examines the sea horse, the only fish that swims upright. We watch it use its prehensile tail to wrap around plants and other sea horses. A frontal bulge houses organs including an air ballast. Three fins propel this fish. We see a female place her eggs in a male's pouch where they are fertilized and nurtured until birth in violent contractions. Inside the pouch are nurturing blood vessels. We then follow the growth of an embryo, greatly magnified: we examine its heart beating and its dorsal fin moving. Young sea horses attach themselves to each other. The film ends with images of many sea horses moving on the ocean floor, superimposed on a horse race.
Key facts
Crew
Stills
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Festival History
- Images Festival 2012 generic
- Viennale 2001 generic
Titles
| Original title | L'Hippocampe ou cheval marin | French |
| Alternate title | L'Hippocampe |
Versions & editions
| Original version (French) |
Full credits
| Director | Jean Painlevé |
| Cinematography | André Raymond |
| Music | Darius Milhaud |
Source: Cinémathèque québécoise, linked catalogue data (CC BY 4.0)
