Kimberley - Life at the Edge of the World
Lenght: 43' HD
Year of production: 2012
Country of production: Germany
Author: Christopher Gerisch
The Kimberley region of Australia is among the most lonely and barren places on earth. This region – covering an area larger than Germany – is extremely hostile. Nonetheless, 30,000 people have embraced its magnificent seclusion and chosen to make a life for themselves here. It is a landscape that captivates everyone with its breath-taking beauty. There is one road that connects everything: The Gibb River Road – the lifeline of this region. For 640 kilometres, it carries us through the rugged heart of this spectacular landscape. This is the land of the Aborigines, whose history is inextricably linked with the history of the region. Through them we learn what it means to venerate nature. They bring us to the holy spots of their forefathers and let us share in their unique way of life – caught between the modern world and the past. Along the Gibb River Road, one of only three roads in this entire 420,000 square kilometre region, the owners of huge cattle farms have set up business. They can only keep an overview of their operations using aeroplanes, thereby covering areas the size of Saarland. This is rugged work, in rugged surroundings. In summer, the sun burns down at a merciless 50 degrees, leaving all living things withered and dry. During rainy season, the dried out riverbeds transform into raging floods. Nature provides the people of the Kimberleys with other dazzling treasures: diamonds. Pink diamonds, unique in the world and found here: in the largest diamond mines on Earth. The people work in two-week cycles. Most of them don’t last any longer – due to loneliness and isolation.