Schwingen der Hoffnung aka Julianes Sturz in den Dschungel

Werner Herzog
Germany, United Kingdom | 1999 | 65 min
Languages : English, German, Spanish
Subtitles : English, French

29 years after a plane crash in the Peruvian jungle, Werner Herzog returns to the site of the accident accompanied by the sole survivor, Juliane Koepke, who was 17 at the time. Determined to have her transcribe this traumatic episode, the filmmaker produces a film far removed from any sensationalism, in which heroism is constantly pushed back by the protagonists. Brought to the forefront in its dreamlike power, the jungle seems to direct the account. Henceforth, the discovery of debris from the plane or of an animal species procures a certain celebration. Hinging on the director’s voice-over, Wings of Hope is also a vibrant declaration as to the possibilities of filmmaking. His inspiring voice exhorts us to seize the most intimate parts of this story. Recording every trace is then aligned to a sine qua non condition that each experience must be lived. This power conferred upon filmmaking reaches its paroxysm when the camera meets the gaze of a young indigenous woman. Scrutinised, her closed face sketches an embarrassed smile that will morph into liberating laughter. 

Tom Bidou

Maître du Réel Werner Herzog

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