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A film by Barbet Schroeder
The striking second feature from Barbet Schroeder (Barfly, Reversal of Fortune, Single White Female), released by the BFI in a Dual Format Edition package, explores the limits of experience as it journeys into the great unknown accompanied by Pink Floyd's wondrous soundtrack, later released as the album Obscured By Clouds.
When Viviane (Bulle Ogier), a chic diplomat's wife, meets an intriguing adventurer (Michael Gothard) and his hippy friends in the wilds of Papua New Guinea, different worlds collide. The group, led by enigmatic visionary Gaetan (Jean-Pierre Kalfon), convince Viviane to join their expedition in search of a mysterious uncharted Valley.
Previously unavailable in the UK, the film is a Dual Format Edition release (a Blu-ray and a DVD disc in one box) and has special features including three documentary shorts directed by Barbet Schroeder about aspects of the lives of the tribes of Papua New Guinea, and a new director-approved 'optical effect' digitally-restored optional ending.
Special features
-Director-approved High Definition transfer from the original negative
-Presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition
-Original and digitally-restored optional endings (Blu-ray only)
-Original un-restored ending (5 mins, DVD only)
-Three ethnographic documentary shorts directed by Barbet Schroeder:
Le cochon aux patates douces (1971, 8 mins) about the Mapuga tribe's feast of pigs with sweet potatoes; Maquillages (1971, 12 mins) which examines the different types of ceremonial make-up worn by the Mapuga tribe; Sing Sing (1971, 5 mins) on the ceremony of 'Sing Sing' practised by Papua New Guinea's tribes
-Theatrical trailers for Schroeder's The Valley, More (1969) and Maí®tresse (1974)
-Illustrated 26-page booklet with rare on-set photographs, an essay, 'Childhood's End: Pink Floyd's Music for The Valley (Obscured by Clouds)' by Rob Young and an essay and new director interview by Emilie Bickerton, author of the recently published book A Short History of Cahiers du Cinéma
Release date: 14 February 2011
RRP: £19.99 / cat. no. BFIB1039 / cert 15
France / 1972 / colour / French language, English subtitles / 105 mins / original aspect ratio 2.35:1 // Disc 1: BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / PCM mono audio (48k/16-bit) / Region free // Disc 2: DVD9 / PAL / Dolby Digital mono audio (320kbps) / Region 0
BFI releases are available from all good retailers; by mail order from the BFI Filmstore
About the BFI
The BFI is the nation's cultural organisation for film, keeping the breadth of voices in moving image culture alive and known. Through its venues, festivals, film releases and online, the BFI inspires people to understand and enjoy film culture, ensuring that everyone in the UK can see the broadest range and choice of films, otherwise not provided by commercial cinema. The BFI reaches an audience of over 7.5 million in the UK every year.