fbpx Coast of Death | George Eastman Museum

Please note: The exhibition Erica Baum: the bite in the ribbon—a paper show is closed today due to technical issues in the gallery. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to reopen it as soon as possible.

Coast of Death

Friday, July 24, 2015, 8 p.m., Dryden Theatre

Those who regard cinema as a pleasure for the eyes will be richly rewarded by this pictorially stunning portrait of what the ancient Romans called “the end of the world” (hence the name “Cap Finisterre” on modern maps). The nickname in the title comes from the many shipwrecks that occurred among the rocks, mist, and storms of this beautiful stretch of wilderness in northwestern Spain. There is very little dialogue in the film, as its real protagonist is the rugged, majestic landscape of the coastline and its troubled relationship with loggers, sailors, farmers, and shellfish hunters. Lyrical and impassioned at the same time, Patiño’s feature debut celebrates the majesty of planet Earth while being utterly explicit on how humans are exploiting its resources. Explicit doesn’t mean judgmental, though, and there is no environmentalist agenda here; instead, we are presented with an exquisite portrait of nature where human activity, however destructive, is part of nature itself. Special presentation by Paolo Cherchi Usai.