Documentary | 53' | 1995 | color | 4/3 | Betacam SP
Original version: French, English
Subtitles: french, English, German

The building of a huge astronomical observatory on Mount Graham, in south-eastern Arizona, has been strongly opposed by the San Carlos Apache. To them, Mt. Graham is sacred land. It is home of mountain spirits, protector from illness and enemies, source of power to medicine people and site of ceremonies and burials. The Apaches particularly resent the fact that the Catholic Church is involved in the building of this observatory, the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope is now completed and will be dedicated, in part, to search for extraterrestrial life forms. Science and faith are at the heart of this controversy, which true issue may be the respect of a threatened culture’s integrity

Camera Camille Cottagnoud Sound Gilles Abravanel Editing Stéphane Goël, Fernand Melgar Music Jean-Philippe Zwahlen, Claude Buri Sound Mix Thierry Peterburger Directed by Stéphane Goël Production Fernand Melgar/Climage, Jean-Marie Barbe/Ardèche Images Production World sales Climage

© CLIMAGE/AIP 1995

Festivals
Journées Cinématographiques de Soleure; Rencontres Médias Nord-Sud, Genève; Festival “Planète”, Paris; Festival du film scientifique d’Oulin (F); SwissAmerican Film Festival, New York; Cinémathèque Suisse, Lausanne…