The White Diamond

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Movie
German title The White Diamond
Original title The White Diamond
Country of production Germany , United Kingdom
original language German ,
English
Publishing year 2004
length 88 minutes
Age rating FSK 0
Rod
Director Werner Herzog
script Rudolph Herzog ,
Annette Scheurich
production Werner Herzog,
Annette Scheurich,
Lucki Stipetic
music Ernst Reijseger ,
Eric Spitzer-Marlyn
camera Henning Brümmer ,
Klaus Scheurich
cut Joe Bini
occupation

The White Diamond is a 2004 documentary directed by Werner Herzog about the British aeronautical engineer Graham Dorrington and his attempt to explore the rainforests of Guyana with a mini airship .

action

After a short introduction to the history of aviation, underlaid with historical original recordings, the viewer is introduced to Graham Dorrington and his work. The aeronautical engineer examines new aircraft for structural weak points and develops and optimizes prototypes for new aircraft and airships in the wind tunnel. A central theme of the film is an accident with an airship constructed by Dorrington, in which the German nature filmmaker Götz Dieter Plage was killed in 1993 on Sumatra . After a technical defect, his airship got caught in the treetops of the rainforest. When Plage tried to rescue a camera from the front part of the gondola, he fell about 50 m and died as a result of the fall. Dorrington admits complicity in the accident, which he witnessed first hand, and wants to process the traumatic experience of building a new airship. The new destination is the Kaieteur Falls in Guyana. The film describes the transport and construction of the airship and the first attempts at launch. The first attempt ends after a short time when a drive motor burns out and the rear motor rotates in the wrong direction due to a technical defect. The viewer gets to know the local Marc Anthony Yhap, who gives the airship the name "White Diamond". In a lengthy monologue, he explains that he would like to take the airship to Spain to visit his family. After a week of repairs and technical improvements, the airship can finally start work, Marc Anthony Yhap is also invited to a flight. The plan to fly over the Kaieteur Falls has been discarded because the winds are too strong . The film ends with a longer shot that shows a large number of swifts flying into a hidden cave behind the waterfall.

Reviews

“Captivating documentation about an expedition in the rainforest of British Guyana, during which the flora and fauna of the treetops are to be explored with the help of a helium-filled mini-zeppelin. In addition to the nature documentary, the film condenses into an sometimes agonizing self-reflection of the main character who wants to overcome the traumatizing misfortune of a friend and colleague. The symbolic film offers breathtaking images, whereby Werner Herzog can create a visual continuity to his earlier work. "

- film service

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