The Laboratory Rat: A Natural History. M. Berdoy. Oxford University. FULL & HD VERSION

The full version in broadcast quality of the award winning film, also affectionately known as "ratlife" (see details below).

ABOUT THE FILM:
"A tale with more real-life dilemmas than a Shakespeare play and more group sex than a blue movie!" (A.P. 2002)
Shot as a wildlife documentary over several months, this 27 min film follows the lives of domestic rats after being released in a large outdoor enclosure where they have to compete, like their wild cousins, for food, shelter and mates. As we witness the emergence of a complex and structured society which soon thrives in this wild environment, the film demonstrates how studies have uncovered a number of features which, despite generations of domestification, remain ready to be expressed when given the opportunity. We may have taken the rat out of the wild, but have we taken the wild out of the rat?

CREDITS: Written and produced by Manuel Berdoy. Directed by Manuel Berdoy & Paul Stewart. Photography by Paul Stewart. Music by Dario Marianelli. Editing by Ramon Burrows. Commentary by Simon King. With thanks to staff of Oxford University BMS and the RSPCA (see full list in film and in www.ratlife.org).

AWARDS: The film was lucky enough to be nominated or receive an award at every festival where the film was presented (13 in total). In chronological order:

1: nominated for the Jack Ward Award by the Animal Behavior Society (USA),
2 : voted Best non-broadcast film at the Wildlife Film Festival in Jackson Hole (USA) and
3: Best Newcomer at the "Living Europe Film Festival" (Sweden).
4: received a "Commendation" for a "Craft Award" and a
5: "High Commendation" for the Wellcome Trust Award for Biology and Medicine Award, both at the "Learning on Screen" conference (UK).
6: voted Best Government Agency Film and
7: Best Non Broadcast Film at the the International Wildlife Film Festival (USA), and received
8: Merit Award for Animal Behaviour;
9: Merit Award for Educational Content;
10: Merit Award for Scientific Value
11: Merit Award for Script.
12: M. Berdoy was nominated for the BBC Newcomer Award at Wildscreen (UK) and the film was
13: voted Best Low Budget - Big Impact film at the Wildlife Vaasa Nature Film Festival (Finland).