A young man pries a cobblestone from the street and throws it at an enemy. The stone misses its mark, enters into a very low earth orbit, and from there witnesses the trials and tribulations of human relationships around the world...until it finally approaches--from behind--the person who threw it.

PRODUCTION NOTES: In order to produce the "flight" of the stone, the filmmakers literally walked around the world. Using a technique called pixilation, they shot one frame of film every few steps with a 16mm Bolex film camera. The pictures are shot from the stone's point of view. When these individual frames are shown at normal speed the stone appears to be hurtling through villages in Germany, across harbors in Brittany, through the desert in Arizona, over rice fields in Japan, and temples in Thailand, across the endless barren steppe in India, and over various islands around the world. Amazed "onlookers" are photographed in real time.

Directors of Photography were Dietmar Ratsch, Juraj Liptak and Guido Frenzel. Their work was long and arduous. For a 2-second "flight" they had to walk for one or more hours, depending on the topographical and climatic conditions of the country in which they were filming. Walking across the Swabian Alb plateau in Germany on a sunny day was quicker and easier than hiking in the mountains of Greece, wading in a paddy field in Thailand or waiting in the American midwest until clouds or a thunderstorm had passed!

Note: The original German title of this film is Steinflug.



Grade Level: 4-12 College, Adult
US Release Date: 1999     Copyright Date: 1999
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-954-2     VHS ISBN: 1-56029-810-3

Reviews "A wordless tour de force that seems almost like a stunt or thrill ride. Including some subtly implied sociological commentary, this award-winning German production really rocks." Booklist "A magical journey around the world...We honor the non-destruction and kindness of the magic stone." Kids Jury, MountainFilm, Telluride "One of the most popular films." Sundance Film Festival "Through the magic of very clever film making, witness the improbable flight of a stone, hurled in outrage, that visits influences on people in every corner of the global village." Timothy McGettigan, Wake Forest University "This delightful winner...is an ingenious slice of life in the world, and recommended for Multicultural Studies, Animation and Film Studies as well as Geography." Oksana Dykyj, Head, Visual Media Resources, Concordia University, Montreal, MC Journal "Superbly produced...will hold great appeal and interest...Highly recommended for school and community library video collections." Midwest Book Review "An excellent discussion starter for younger students." The Online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution "This is what short films are all about: creativity, exploration, and tireless dedication." Rochester International Film Festival