Documentary Films - Competition 2003 / Enquete sur le monde invisible / France 2002
This remarkable documentary presents, survey style, Icelanders’ unshakable faith in the existence of supernatural beings. At the same time the film provides an original, if mystery-shrouded, look at an island of volcanos lying just south of the Arctic Circle.
At the beginning of the third millennium, Iceland is a country whose inhabitants, living in a harsh lunar landscape, maintain secret ties with a community of invisible beings: elves. In their own words elves are creatures from about four inches to four feet tall, who live in the heart of the island’s lava formations. Many Icelanders are happy to run on about meeting ghosts and water goblins, or about conversing with angels and extraterrestrials. This remarkable documentary works as an investigative survey which, from an objective perspective, suspiciously reiterates highly improbable testimony and evidence. Vivid shots of the beauty of Iceland (an island of volcanic origin located just south of the Arctic Circle, with thermal springs and more than thirty active volcanos) lend strength to the mysterious aura arising from the words of those who, with overwhelming offhandedness and faith in the truth of their own testimony, share their singular experiences on camera.
90 min / Color, 35 mm
Director Jean Michel Roux
/ Screenplay Jean-Michel Roux
/ Dir. of Photography Jean-Louis Viallard
/ Music Biosphere, Hector Zazou
/ Editor Joseph Licide
/ Producer Frederique Dumas, Mathieu Bompoint
/ Production Noé Productions
/ Contact Noé Productions
www: www.lemondeinvisible.com
Jean Michel Roux (b. 1964, Nancy, France) is a self-taught filmmaker who shot his first short film, Quartier sauvage, at age nineteen. He drew inspiration for his next two short films, La voix du désert (1987) and Trop près des Dieux (1992) from the works of well-known writer Philip K. Dick, just as he did for his first feature The Thousand Wonders of the Universe (Les Mille merveilles de l’univers, 1997, Best European Film at the Rome festival and Grand Prix at Malmö), starring Tchéky Karyo, Julie Delpy and Maria de Medeiros. While seeking locations for a sci-fi project at the beginning of the nineties, the director chanced upon Iceland. Captivated by the mysterious beauty of the landscape and the unconventional character of a people who quite matter-of-factly believe in supernatural beings, Roux decided to investigate their invisible world; this, of course, led to a film with that very title.
Noé Productions
94, rue Lauriston, 75116, Paris
France
Phone: +33 1 450 525 32
Fax: +33 1 450 524 45
E-mail: [email protected]
Mathieu Bompoint
Jean Michel Roux
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