Asparagus Bear

The reported sighting of a bear causes consternation in a sleepy Croatian coastal village, right in the middle of the wild asparagus season. A cascade of online posts ensues, with sightings, photos, videos and eyewitness accounts. But is it true? Bears don’t normally inhabit the area—but you never know. It would certainly suit the local street vendors if their competitors were too afraid to harvest the wild asparagus. Might they be behind this possible hoax?

Short interviews with villagers show how the story of the bear sows division in the village. Conversations set against the backdrop of atmospheric restaurants, streets and café terraces are interspersed with fragments of videos, social media posts and mysterious clips of dense forests. The bear story is examined from all angles in this witty and engaging micro-analysis of our love for compelling tales and the power of the online rumor mill.