Search The Archive

Search the film archive

“Four places on earth where fellowship and trust are of existential importance.” - filmmaker Jiska Rickels Following up her award-winning documentary short Days Under, Jiska Rickels completes a theme she began exploring in 2003. In 4 Elements, she intertwines Days Under with three further stories, each elucidating the lives of people from around the world whose jobs involve working with the four elements. Split into four parts - the first, Fire, dealing with the Siberian smoke-jumpers as they battle a forest blaze; the second, Water, showing Alaskan fisherman searching for the elusive king crab; the third, Earth, with the last coalminers of Germany; and the final part, Air, looking at the training and lift-off of astronauts in Kazakhstan. 4 Elements poetically displays mankind's ongoing struggle with the four elements.

---

D/S Jiska Rickels P San Fu Maltha WS Fu Works L English, Russian, German, Kazahk w/English subtitles TD digibeta/2006/89mins