Film

Sky Above and Mud Beneath

1961 · 1h 32m · Documentary

Men of the space age meet men of the stone age.

IMDb

7.1

In September, 1959, six Europeans leave Cook's Bay on the southern coast of Dutch New Guinea, now West Papua or Irian Jaya, to trek north to the far side of the island. The journey (450 miles, as a crow flies) across unmapped territory took seven months; three Muyu porters died. Near both coasts, the expedition met villagers who invited them to observe rituals and live with them. In the interior, all villagers kept them at bay, and they depended on air lifts from Hollandia for food and supplies. They climbed above 10,000 feet, built 14 bridges, and fought leeches and malaria. The narrator focuses on describing Stone Age savages, headhunters, and cannibals.

• Pierre-Dominique GaisseauWriter · Director
• Arthur CohnProducer
• René LafuiteProducer
• Georges ArnstamEditor

Official Trailer

Release date

May 5, 1961

Status

Released

Original language

French

Runtime

1h 32m

Genres

Documentary