Sky Above and Mud Beneath
A Feature film of
Produced by
Production year1961
French release05/05/1961
Runtime
1h 25m
Synopsis
In September, 1959, six Europeans leave Cook's Bay on the southern coast of Dutch New Guinea, now West Papua or Irian Jaya, to trek north to the far side of the island. The journey (450 miles, as a crow flies) across unmapped territory took seven months; three Muyu porters died. Near both coasts, the expedition met villagers who invited them to observe rituals and live with them. In the interior, all villagers kept them at bay, and they depended on air lifts from Hollandia for food and supplies. They climbed above 10,000 feet, built 14 bridges, and fought leeches and malaria. The narrator focuses on describing Stone Age savages, headhunters, and cannibals.
Credits
Director (1)
Production and distribution (4)
- Executive Producer : Ardennes Films
- Co-production : Société Parisienne de Cinéma (SPC)
- Foreign production company : Michael Arthur Films
- French distribution : Rank
Full credits (5)
- Executive Producers : Marc Boureau, René Lafuite
- Director of Photography : Gilbert Sarthre
- Editor : Georges Arnstam
- Foreign Producer : Michael Arthur
- Co-producer : Arthur Cohn
Media Gallery
Technical details
- Type : Feature film
- Genres : Documentary
- Production language : French
- Coproducer countries : France, Lichtenstein
- Original French-language productions : Unspecified
- Production year : 1961
- French release : 05/05/1961
- Runtime : 1 h 25 min
- Current status : Released
- Visa number : 22589
- Visa issue date : 29/03/1961
- Approval : Unknown
- Production formats : 35mm
- Color type : Color
