Picture of Light

Peter Mettler

A mesmerizing tale about a filmmaker’s journey to Canada’s arctic in search of one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders: the aurora borealis, or northern lights. While combining glimpses of the characters who live in this remote environment with the crew’s comic and absurd attempts to deal with the extreme cold, the film reveals the paradoxes involved in trying to capture the natural wonder of the northern lights on celluloid. Exploring the tension between nature and technology and between science and myth, Picture of Light reveals how our increasingly connected world threatens to render obsolete our individual and authentic experiences.

Canada, Switzerland 1994, '87

DIRECTOR: Peter Mettler

SCENARIO: Peter Mettler

CAMERA: Peter Mettler

MONTAGE: Peter Mettler, Mike Munn

MUSIC: Jim O’Rourke

PRODUCERS: Andreas Züst, Peter Mettler, Alexandra Gill

PRODUCTION: Grimthorpe Film

FESTIVALS & AWARDS:

Locarno International Film Festival: Official Selection (1994)
Toronto International Film Festival: Official Selection (2017)
Toronto International Film Festival: Official Selection (1994)
International Film Festival Rotterdam: Official Selection (1994)
International Film Festival Rotterdam: Official Selection (2009)
CPH:DOX: Official Selection (2018)
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema: Official Selection (2003)
Vancouver International Film Festival: Official Selection (1994)
DOK Leipzig: Official Selection (2023)
Ghent Film Festival: Official Selection (1994)
Sydney Film Festival: Official Selection (1994)
Valladolid International Film Festival: Official Selection (1995)
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival:Winner: Runner-up Prize (1995)
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival: Official Selection (2013)
Visions du Réel: Official Selection (2020)

Picture of Light

Peter Mettler

Peter Mettler

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