The Sky on Location

1983 1h 18m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 2

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A personal meditation on the landscape of the American West that tracks the ruling conception in nature in the 19th and 20th centuries from the pioneers through the instamatic tourists, at the same time that it obsessively follows the four seasons. The elemental vicissitudes of the weather, the exact moment of the day, the colour of the light and the soil and the trees form an acute visual record of the constantly changing mood of the landscape. The film successfully attempts, with quiet, passionate, almost single-minded firmness, to confront us as nakedly as possible with our cultural inability to see nature whole, without preconceptions.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Babette Mangolte
Narrator (voice)
Bruce Boston
Narrator (voice)
Honora Ferguson
Narrator (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Babette Mangolte
Writers: Babette Mangolte
Languages: English
Countries: Germany, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

43 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Germany, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Babette Mangolte, shot by Babette Mangolte. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Babette Mangolte shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Babette Mangolte and Bruce Boston and Honora Ferguson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0282981 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Babette Mangolte directs. Babette Mangolte behind the camera. Babette Mangolte cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
243 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Germany, United States of America.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Babette Mangolte, shot by Babette Mangolte. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Babette Mangolte shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Babette Mangolte and Bruce Boston and Honora Ferguson carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0282981 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.