Broadcast Premiere – The Nature of Things – Thursday, April 9
9:00pm (9:30pm NT) on CBC and CBC Gem
Mosquitoes have shaped human history for centuries, influencing wars, migration, and the rise and fall of civilizations. Today, they remain the deadliest animal on the planet, spreading diseases like malaria, which continues to kill up to a million people a year.
As climate change accelerates, cities expand, and global travel increases, mosquito populations are shifting at an alarming rate. Different species are moving into regions where they have never existed before, while in the United States and Canada, they are thriving in new ways and for longer seasons. Diseases once confined to specific areas are now crossing borders with ease, carried by an insect that evolves faster than our ability to control it.
Directed by Caitlin Starowicz and written by Mark Starowicz, The Mosquitoes Are Winning! is a timely and urgent documentary that travels across continents to examine the scale of this growing crisis and the race to stop it. It also doubles as a practical guide to protecting yourself this summer, unpacking what actually makes you a target, from what you wear to what you eat and drink.
The film takes audiences to Brazil, home to the world’s largest mosquito factory, where innovative interventions have reduced disease transmission by up to 90 percent. In Uganda, scientists are developing controversial strategies to stop the tiny insect’s malaria-carrying disease at its source. These stories are set alongside developments in North America, where the spread of mosquito-borne illness is becoming an increasingly pressing concern.
Through access to leading scientists, researchers, and frontline health workers, the documentary captures a real-time battle between human ingenuity and an insect that continues to outpace it. The film reveals both meaningful progress and a sobering reality: the balance may be shifting. At its core, The Mosquitoes Are Winning! asks a difficult question. In a rapidly changing world, can we catch up to a threat that has always been one step ahead?
This episode of The Nature of Things is hosted by Anthony Morgan, directed by Caitlin Starowicz, written by Mark Starowicz, produced by Diana Warmé and Caitlin Starowicz, and executive produced by Mark Starowicz. The director of photography is Jimi Kinistino. The director of principal macrophotography is Bob Hancock, with additional camera work by Gordon Gair and Izaek Ekuka. The editor is Mark Stokes, and research was provided by Charlotte Odele.
