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| A web of personages laid out over an ominously blood-stained map of the Galapagos Islands makes up this interest-sparking poster for Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine's The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden |
In 1933 a disillusioned German couple travel to the deserted Galapagos island Floreana in the Pacific Ocean, but their Nietzsche-inspired way of life there is soon disturbed by other expat Europeans, who soon start to go missing ...
The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden is written and directed by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine (Kids of Survival (1996, documentary, both)), with Celeste Schaefer Snyder (Ballets Russes (2005, documentary)) contributing writing, based on the books, journals, articles and letters of the five islanders, Dore Strauch, Margret Wittmer, Friedrich Ritter, Hinz Wittmer and John Garth.
It is an incredibly fascinating story of the island's new, European vanguard; a nihilist, a self-sufficient, and a self-serving French fake baroness slash mistress/dominatrix. The documentarians have understandably romped in the generous historical materials; extensive diaries from central characters and even film of them, - although it would have been meaningful with some note about where these films actually come from.
The resulting film is nevertheless long, also featuring interviews of descendants, pictures of the islands' prehistoric-looking landscapes and animals, along with narration from big stars, including Cate Blanchett (Bandits (2001)) and Thomas Kretschmann (Prince Valiant (1997)). In light of the many other atrocities also to come from their part of the world during this time, The Galapagos Affair made me wonder whether 1930s Germans were generally a people cursed by some otherworldly, diabolical evil, a genuinely cursed people?
Watch a conversation between the filmmakers here about the making of the film
Cost: Uncertain
Box office: 247k $ (North America only)
= Uncertain
[The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden premiered 12 October (Hamptons International Film Festival, US) and runs 120 minutes. It opened #86 to a 5k $ first weekend in 1 theater in North America, where it peaked at #53 and in 15 theaters (different weeks). It was screened at a handful of festivals and released in the UK, but only the North-American gross is listed online. Geller and Goldfine are currently in post-production with their next documentary, Hallelujah: It Goes Like This. The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden is certified fresh at 83 % with a 6.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden?
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