Die Erde von oben (Earth from Above)
Germany 2005

Opening 14 Sep 2006

Directed by: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Writing credits: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand had an idea in 1994 and began developing it seriously in 2000. He photographs Planet Earth from a helicopter. The result is long, gorgeous shots of islands, water, desert, tilled fields, and dyed cloth or crops spread out to dry. People in the photos are small compared to the grandness of the planet. There is an inconsequential storyline: father and son discuss the world. The photographs are the important part, nicely accompanied by music from Armand Amar. This premiered in Hamburg at the 2005 Film Festival and festival director Albert Wiederspiel compared Arthus-Bertrand to an artist who sneaks into museums at night to continue working on his old masters which are on display, since they “aren’t finished yet.” In the same manner Arthus-Bertrand is still working on this film, which he considers incomplete and for which there has just recently been an official press showing. Naturally, this is a five-star film; rating it lower would be like saying that God’s creation is not quite up to par. There is a terrific website where the artist offers his photos for free to be used as wallpaper: www.yannarthusbertrand.com. This film is highly recommended, especially to anyone interested in photography. (Becky Tan)