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Inhabitants

Name: Inhabitants
Director: Artavazd Peleshian
Released: 1970
Duration: 9 min

Representation Score

2.3/10

Limited

1970

Director

Artavazd Peleshian

Runtime

9 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Inhabitants is an avant-garde documentary that prioritizes the rhythmic, chaotic biological imperatives of the natural world over human-centric narratives. By focusing on mass migrations and animalistic panic, the film moves toward formal abstraction. Due to its non-traditional structure, the film lacks representation for LGBTQ+, gender, and disability categories. The human element is reduced to mere silhouettes, preventing any social or identity-based exploration. However, the film succeeds in deconstructing racial and cultural hierarchies. It replaces traditional Western storytelling structures with a systemic view of existence, favoring biological universality over human social constructs.

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Category Breakdown

Does Inhabitants have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any character-driven dialogue or interpersonal relationships related to LGBTQ+ identities. Since it is an experimental documentary focused on animal movement, there is no mention of LGBTQ+ characters.

How does Inhabitants portray gender?

Minimal

The film reduces human presence to vague silhouettes and fragmented imagery. Without a structured cast, it does not engage with traditional gender hierarchies or roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Inhabitants?

Fair

By focusing on biological universality and mass movement, the film deconstructs racial categorization. However, it lacks explicit representation for diverse racial identities, which prevents a higher score.

How does Inhabitants represent religion and culture?

Good

The film disrupts Western-centric storytelling through a non-linear, observational perspective. The emphasis on anxious movements critiques stable human institutions and centralized authority.

Does Inhabitants include disability representation?

Minimal

The focus remains on the macro-movements of animal populations and abstract rhythms. There are no human characters with identifiable disabilities present.

Present on Screen

Deconstructs racial categorization by focusing on biological universality and species movement.
Challenges Western-centric storytelling through a non-linear, poetic, and observational perspective.
Disrupts anthropocentric hierarchies by prioritizing the natural world over human-centric gazes.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+, gender, and disability identities due to its non-narrative, experimental format.
Provides no character-driven narratives to explore social or cultural roles.
Human presence is too fragmented and abstract to engage with social or cultural roles.

Official Synopsis

Inhabitants depicts animals in panic: the film is mostly filled with shots of mass migrations and stampedes (some, surprisingly, filmed from a helicopter). The title equalizes the species of the earth. Artavazd Peleshian merely alludes to the presence of human beings—a few silhouettes that seem to be the cause of these vast, anxious movements of animal fear. In many ways, this film is an ode to the animal world that moves toward formal abstraction, with clouds of silver birds pulverizing light. Peleshian said, “It’s hard to give a verbal synopsis of these films. Such films exist only on the screen, you have to see them.”

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