The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

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antnield
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The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#1 Post by antnield » Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:16 am

Image
March 22nd 2010
Dir. Barbet Schroeder

France 1972 | Colour | 139 mins (inc. extras) | Drama

Cast: Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Bulle Ogier, Michael Gothard

A group of dropouts and dreamers search for New Guinea's uncharted Valley of the Gods, resulting in an odyssey of sexual and spiritual discovery. Barbet Schroeder’s beautiful second feature, The Valley probes the limits of experience and freedom – journeying into the unknown to the sounds of Pink Floyd’s especially composed soundtrack, Obscured by Clouds. Aided by Nester Almendros’ striking photography and the tribes people of the Mapuga – who allowed westerners to participate in and film their rites for the first time – the film is an authentic tribute to a liberating sense of adventure.

bamwc2
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#2 Post by bamwc2 » Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:08 pm

Sadly this has now been pushed back to an unknown date. It's still on their slate, but has no firm release date.

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antnield
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#3 Post by antnield » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:48 pm

The BBFC have just classified Schroeder's 1971 ethnographic documentary short Sing Sing (shot in New Guineau by Nestor Almendros) for inclusion as an extra on La Vallée (when it gets released).

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bigP
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#4 Post by bigP » Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:16 pm

Excellent news. If this is the reason for the multiple delays, I'll be glad to add it as a pre-order for the third or fourth time.

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antnield
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#5 Post by antnield » Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:51 pm

antnield wrote:The BBFC have just classified Schroeder's 1971 ethnographic documentary short Sing Sing (shot in New Guineau by Nestor Almendros) for inclusion as an extra on La Vallée (when it gets released).
Two more 1971 Almendros-shot New Guineau shorts have also been classified: Maquillages (Make-Up) and Le Cochon aux Patates Douces (Pork With Sweet Potatoes).

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antnield
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#6 Post by antnield » Mon Nov 22, 2010 12:53 pm

Pre-order for 14th Feb 2011.

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RossyG
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#7 Post by RossyG » Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:42 pm

Yippee! Blu ray!

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MichaelB
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#8 Post by MichaelB » Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:11 am

And region-free Blu-ray at that - I've just confirmed and updated the list.

Most of the other newly-announced Blu-rays are region-free too - the exceptions, unsurprisingly, being the Ozus.

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MichaelB
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#9 Post by MichaelB » Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:50 am

Full specs announced:
The Valley (Obscured by Clouds)
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 Maîtresse (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

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MichaelB
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#10 Post by MichaelB » Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:58 am

Mondo Digital.

There's a slightly contentious point when he says:
extras include three interesting short films about the tribes created by Schroeder to prepare for filming, all from 1971: "Le cochon aux patates douces," "Maquillages," and "Sing Sing." All of them focuses on various aspects of tribal life ranging from an unflinching depiction of food preparation with pigs (which highlights how odd BBFC standards really are) to dance and body paint routines.
It's not the BBFC that's responsible for animal cruelty guidelines, it's Stanley Baldwin's government for passing the 1937 Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act, which remains in force to this day. The BBFC has no choice, as it's compelled by the 1984 Video Recordings Act to take all relevant legislation into account when assessing films for home viewing - and I know from talking to an examiner that they hate having to do this, as artistic merit isn't a mitigating factor with the Animals Act in the way that it is with, say, the Obscene Publications Act.

So these apparently "odd standards" actually arise from the BBFC's determination to pass as much as possible in the face of a notoriously draconian piece of legislation. Handily, the phrase "if in connection with the production of the film any scene represented in the film was organised or directed in such a way as to involve the cruel infliction of pain or terror on any animal or the cruel goading of any animal to fury" offers two get-out clauses, namely:

1. if the animal cruelty was simulated;
2. if the animal cruelty, though genuine, would have happened regardless of the cameras' presence (since it wouldn't have been carried out "in connection with the production of the film").

Ethnographic documentaries are highly likely to fall into the second category, and that appears to have been the case here.

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MichaelB
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#11 Post by MichaelB » Mon Jan 31, 2011 4:12 pm

Pink Floyd site Brain Damage.

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antnield
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Re: The Valley (Obscured by Clouds/La Vallée)

#12 Post by antnield » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:08 pm


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