Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth is a feature length documentary on the indigenous Maya in Mexico and Guatemala.

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth
Directed byFrauke Sandig, Eric Black
Produced byFrauke Sandig, Eric Black
Music byArturo Pantaleón
CinematographyBlack
Edited byGrete Jentzen
Release date
November 2011
Running time
98 minutes
CountryGermany, USA

Synopsis

The film portrays six indigenous Maya in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, showing their daily and ceremonial lives - and their determination to resist the destruction of their culture and environment, their rainforests and their native corn. The Maya believe that they are guardians of the earth. In the film, the young indigenous fight against Central Americas largest open-pit goldmine in Guatemala and the environmental cost of gold exploration, demanding social and environmental justice.[1] Their cosmovision, in which all life is sacred and interconnected, is portrayed as a compelling alternative to the prevailing short-sighted and thoughtless exploitation and destruction of our planet.

Release and reception

Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth had its international premiere at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Masters Section)[2] after its German premiere at DokLeipzig, was screened at over a hundred international film festivals and was awarded numerous awards, including first prize at Canada's largest environmental film Festival, Planet in Focus, Toronto,[3] the Audience Award at the German Nature Film Prize and all three top awards in Montreal's First Peoples Festival. It won awards or opened every human rights festival in both Central and South America.[4] The film had a theatrical release in Germany and Japan and was the opening film of the 2012 Human Rights Film Festival at the National Theater of Guatemala.[5] The film is the first part of the 'Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth - Trilogy'. The second part, the feature-length documentary "AWARE - Glimpses of Consciousness" premiered at Hof International Film Festival 2020.[6]

Critical response

Aesthetically and in terms of content, the film has been positively reviewed after its theatrical release in Germany. Above all, the universal struggle of Indigenous peoples for their rights is brought into sharp focus. Thomas Assheuer writes in Die Zeit: „It is quite possible our great corporations will succeed in finishing Nature off and plant genetically modified corn over its burnt out remains. It is quite possible they will intimidate and expel the Indigenous from their lands. On the other hand, resistance is growing... If one is searching for impressive evidence of this tenacious determination, Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth is it.“[7] Peter von Becker writes in the Tagesspiegel: „A great, quiet, disturbing film“.[8]Peter Gutting in Kino-Zeit above all praises the visual language:„This different relationship to nature is better described with pictures than with words. Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth does exactly this, with clouds that glow from within, rivers with power one can sense, or mountains, which exude an inner peace. The camerawork creates settings that inspire fascination in a hitherto unknown world.“.[9]

Festivals

International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) Masters Section[10]

DokLeipzig[11]

Margaret Mead Film Festival[12]

Vancouver International Film Festival[13]

Mill Valley International Film Festival[14]

Havana International Film Festival[15]

Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival[16]

Awards

Planet in Focus, Toronto, First Prize (Best International Feature)[17]

German Nature Film Prize, Audience Award[18]

First Prize (Premio Pukañawi) International Human Rights Film Festival Bolivia[19]

Special Jury Mention, DocsDF, Mexico City[20]

Special Jury Mention, International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva[21]

Special Jury Mention, Human Rights Film Festival Buenos Aires[22]

Best Documentary, Best Cinematography and 2nd Teueikan Prize at the First Peoples Festival Montreal in co-presentation with RIDM[23]

Silver Chris Award, Columbus International Film Festival[24]

Best Director, Baikal Film Festival People and Environment

References
  1. "Review of Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth Directed by Frauke Sandig and Eric Black".
  2. www.oberon.nl, Oberon Amsterdam, Heart of Sky - Heart of Earth | IDFA, retrieved 2020-08-16
  3. ""Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" takes Planet in Focus prize". Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  4. filmsfortheplanet.com https://filmsfortheplanet.com/heart-of-sky-heart-of-earth/. Retrieved 2020-08-19. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "III Muestra de Cine Internacional - Guatemala 2012". Issuu. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  6. https://aware-film.com. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. "ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl". www.zeit.de. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  8. "Vor uns die Sintflut". www.tagesspiegel.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  9. "Herz des Himmels, Herz der Erde | Film, Trailer, Kritik". www.kino-zeit.de. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  10. www.oberon.nl, Oberon Amsterdam, Heart of Sky - Heart of Earth | IDFA, retrieved 2020-08-17
  11. "Cinémathèque Leipzig - Archiv". www.cinematheque-leipzig.de. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  12. "Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth".
  13. "HEADS UP: An Engrossing Film To Catch At The VIFF - "Heart of Earth, Heart of Sky"". Scout Magazine. 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  14. "Active Cinema Archive – Mill Valley Film Festival". www.mvff.com. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  15. "XXXIII Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano - EcuRed". www.ecured.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  16. Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth, retrieved 2020-08-17
  17. ""Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth" takes Planet in Focus prize". Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  18. "Icarus Films: Heart of Earth, Heart of Sky". www.icarusfilms.com. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  19. C.V, DEMOS, Desarrollo de Medios, S. A. de (2012-11-25). "La Jornada: Advierte filme que 2012 no es el fin, sino el tiempo para cambiar". www.jornada.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  20. uno, Por Equipo Todos somos. "Corazón del Cielo, Corazón de la Tierra – documental" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  21. "Heart Of Sky, Heart Of Earth | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs and Educational DVDs". www.bullfrogfilms.com. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  22. "Icarus Films: Heart of Earth, Heart of Sky". www.icarusfilms.com. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  23. "Festival Présence autochtone / Montreal First Peoples Festival". Festival Présence autochtone / Montreal First Peoples Festival (in French). Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  24. "Blue is the Warmest Color to highlight festival finale". The Columbus Freepress. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
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