| Fig Wasps | A fig wasp is a billion times smaller than its fig tree partner A fig wasp can fly through the eye of a needle A fig wasp is so small it can take off from the wing of a fly |
Cornwall based film-makers Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone have won several awards over the years. For their latest project the pair have spent two years working in remote Africa to produce 'Natural World - The Queen of Trees'. This was televised on BBC2 recently. If you missed the programme use the links below to watch footage from the film. You can also listen to an audio report featuring highlights from the show and an interview with the film's couple. 'The Queen of Trees' tells the story of tiny wasps who attempt to seek refuge in a regal fig tree. They may differ in size a billion times over but the film proves that neither could exist without the other.
In turn they support hundreds of other animals from ants to elephants.
 | | A fig wasp on a fly's wing |
Each 'sycomore' fig tree produces several tonnes of fruit a year. This is enough to feed more different types of creatures than any other tree in Africa. The film shows how swarms of female fig wasps are lured by the tree's scent and the bizarre cycle of life which unfolds. Each fig is a world in miniature - a stage for birth, sex and death as the tiny players battle against predators and parasites. This is one of the most bizarre and astounding stories in the natural world.
 | | A Fig Tree |
"Our stars may be tiny, but they tell one of the best natural history stories in Africa," believe the filmmakers. "It doesn't matter if the subject is big or small, whether we are underwater of filming macro, we always look to tell the story in the most entertaining and interesting way possible." To produce the film Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone spent 24 months living under canvas with their two young sons. Fifty feet up a tree with custom-made macro equipment, this extra-ordinary pair captured the intimate details of fig wasps living, mating and dying inside a fig.
 | | Mark Deeble on location |
The husband and wife team are well known for their intimate portraits of creatures and ecosystems. It's not unusual for them to spend years filming in remote bush camps to capture rare animal behaviour. They film, direct, write and produce all their own work, while they bring up their two young sons in the wild. The last four films produced by the couple have all been shot in Africa, while home schooling their sons Freddy and Jacca. Their list of awards makes impressive reading. They have received an Emmy, six Wildlife Oscars, and more than 100 other international awards. | 
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