Astronomers and Archaeologists
Astronomers peer through a huge telescope into the clear night skies, tracking the evolution of known celestial spheres and discovering others, and analyzing the chemical composition of stars and collections of gases swirling through space. They track and calculate the presence of calcium in the celestial spheres, on our planet and in our bones.
Archaeologists, anthropologists and paleontologists sift through desert sand to find long buried skeletal fragments and shards of artifacts belonging to our prehistoric human ancestors. They've discovered mummies and remnants of ancient civilizations preserved beneath shrouds of sand.
Patricio Guzman focuses his lens on what astronomers see when they look through their telescope, and the scenery is awesome. The images are presented without labels or place identifiers. They are just there for your enjoyment and contemplation.
Then, we're taken to the protected sites where archaeologists are carefully extracting information from earth so arid and red it looks like a Martian landscape. Again, there are no maps to situate you, the viewer.
Patricio Guzman: Filmmaker, Guide and Humanist
Past, Present and Distraught Mothers
Atacama Desert also hides secrets from Chile's recent past. During his repressive 17-year dictatorship, Augusto Pinochet 'disappeared' thousands of Chileans, many of whose brutalized bodies were tossed into the sea or dumped in the Atacama Desert. Now, mothers, wives and children of the 'disappeared' scour the sands looking for the remains of loved ones, seeking relief from their ongoing grief. Astronomers and archeologist's help them. With strikingly emotional effect, Guzman reveals philosophical synapses between these seemingly disparate seekers of truth. This is a profoundly humanistic film.
If You Like This Film, You May Also Like:
- Earth Days
- Enemies of the People
- An Inconvenient Truth
- The Eleventh Hour
- Hubble 3D
- In Search of Memory
- In The Shadow Of The Moon
- Nostalga For The Light
- Director: Patricio Guzman
- World Premiere: October 2010; US Theatrical Release Date: March 18, 2011
- Running Time: 90 mins.
- Parental Advisory: Content advisory for parents
- Location: Atacama Desert, Chile
- Language: Spanish, with English subtitles
- Production Country: France, Germany, Chile
- Production Company: Atacama Productions
- Distribution Company: Icarus Films