Picture of Light
Peter Mettler, Canada, Switzerland, 1993o
A journey to Canada’s arctic in search of one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders, the northern lights. The Film combines glimpses of the characters who live in this remote environment with the crew’s comic and absurd attempts to deal with the extreme cold and to capture the natural wonder of the northern lights on film. Exploring the tension between nature and technology and between science and myth, Picture of Light reveals how our increasingly connected world threatens to render obsolete our individual and authentic experiences.
Picture of Light remains Mettler’s richest work both in terms of its themes and visual splendour.
Jason AndersonI've always assumed it would be impossible to photograph such a glorious and mysterious sight as the northern lights, but Canadian experimental filmmaker Peter Mettler has done it. His fascinating, beautiful, and evocative documentary feature about his trip to the Canadian arctic is a mixture of science and poetry that indirectly recalls Michael Snow's La region centrale.
Jonathan RosenbaumGalleryo
