The Emerald Forest

Money Into Light, Boorman's diary about the filming of The Emerald Forest, has been considered a classic of the genre since its release in 1985. The film itself received a rather mixed reception at the time, but in retrospect seems ahead of its time, as it deals sensitively with issues of ecology and the rights of the indigenous population. The story is based on true events and is about an American engineer (Powers Boothe) who works in the Amazon rainforest and whose son is “kidnapped” (or perhaps “liberated”?) by indigenous people. When he finds his now grown-up son (Charley Boorman, the director's son) a decade later, unexpected complications soon arise. This fast-paced drama, whose harrowing violence is counterpointed by poetic lyricism and hallucinatory, visionary splendor, exemplifies Boorman's celebrated flair for connecting the personal with the universal and the mythic. (N.Y.)

Photo: Filmarchiv Austria