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RATS. These feared and fearsome rodents live in a netherworld in close proximity to humans. They are a potent symbol of evil, evoking terror in most people. They spread disease. They live off our filth. And they can survive nuclear explosions. Rat Tales looks at these aggressive predators and at some humans trying to combat them. They include the husband-and-wife members of Alberta's Rat Patrol that guards the Saskatchewan border to keep Alberta rat-free; two house-holders trying to rid their homes of the vermin; the exterminators; and a filmmaker. Filmed in New York City, Toronto and the prairies of Alberta, Rat Tales takes us into a world rarely seen and yet frighteningly close--only a few centimetres underground. Blending the unusual and the bizarre, with graphic footage of rat society, this documentary draws unsettling parallels between rats and humans. The film highlights the remarkable adaptability of the rat and its natural cunning--traits that have made it one of the most successfull life forms on the planet. Warning: Scenes of graphic rat violence.

2000, 40 min 12 s