The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden
(2013)Documentary exploring the curious goings-on when a Berlin doctor and his mistress dropped out of society and resettled in the Galapagos Islands in the 1930s. Followed by others, soon an experimental, free-love society flourished – until some of the new arrivals disappeared and allegations of murder began to swirl in the air. Filmmakers Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller (Ballets Russes) delve into what took place by assembling archival footage, modern testimony, and utilising voice talent including Cate Blanchett, Diane Kruger and Connie Nielsen.
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Directed by Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine
Starring Cate Blanchett, Sebastian Koch, Thomas Kretschmann, Diane Kruger, Connie Nielsen, Josh Radnor, Gustaf Skarsgård
Written by Dayna Goldfine, Daniel Geller, Celeste Schaefer Snyder
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
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The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden
The Press Reviews
78%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
A bizarre real-life drama of the 1930s is well told in this resourceful documentary. Full Review
Never yokes all these threads into anything particularly deep or illuminating... less social commentary, more gossip. Full Review
The lessons, although obvious, bear repeating. Full Review
May be rather too padded with tangentially linked contemporary interviews, but at its heart there is some wonderful material and a gripping real-life story. Full Review
This pulpy 1930s mystery makes up only a fraction of this disorganized docu. Full Review
BY Aaron Yap Flicks Writer
Overlong, and the central mystery wasn’t as hooky/gripping as I’d hope, but still fascinating, densely storied piece of “human history” about Europeans in the 1930s turning their back on civilisation in search of paradise in the Galapagos Islands. Filmmakers blessed by an astonishing bounty of first-hand accounts and film footage, the latter almost hoax-like a la Forgotten Silver. For people so inclined to leave the developed world, it’s ironic they weren’t able to leave the technology behind.
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