The Sky, the Earth – The Threatening Sky

Joris Ivens & Marceline Loridan-Ivens
France, Vietnam | 1968 | 113 min
Languages : Vietnamese, French
Subtitle : French

An essential and legendary film on the Vietnam War, The Sky, the Earth - The Threatening Sky is shot in the village of Vinh-Linh, near the artificial dividing line between the north and the south of Vietnam, in the “demilitarised” zone. Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan-Ivens lived there for two months, connecting with farmers taking refuge in caves and shelters trying to pursue a normal existence. It is this duration of time that enables them to create an intimacy with the villagers and translate, with great accuracy and precision, the hell of a daily life subjected to hunger and the relentless bombing by American B-52s. By documenting the different aspects of the Vietnamese military and economic resistance and the organisation of life in a war zone, the two filmmakers produce a great classic of militant filmmaking. This screening also allows Visions du Réel to pay homage to Marceline Loridan-Ivens, who passed away last September.

Emilie Bujès (Film from Visions du Réel 1969)