Foreign Film Friday: “Quest for Fire” (La Guerre du feu) by Annaud

(1981, 1h 40m, Canada/France, Adventure/Fantasy by Jean-Jacques Annaud)

Classic movies from around the world every Friday!
Donation-based admission. Light refreshments available.

The Canadian-French co-production is a film adaptation of the 1911 Belgian novel “The Quest for Fire” by J.-H. Rosny. The story is set “80,000 years ago”, with a plot concerning the struggle for control of fire by early humans and their encounters with different hominid species.

In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge to start a new fire, the tribe sends three warriors (Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi) on a quest for more. With the tribe’s future at stake, the warriors make their way across a treacherous landscape full of hostile tribes and monstrous beasts. On their journey, they encounter Ika (Rae Dawn Chong), a woman who has the knowledge they seek.

Academy Awards (1983): Won Best Makeup (Sarah Monzani, Michèle Burke).
César Awards (1982): Won Best Film and Best Director (Jean-Jacques Annaud); Nominated for Best Cinematography, Music, and Production Design.
Genie Awards (1983): Won 5 awards: Best Actress (Rae Dawn Chong), Costume Design, Editing, Sound, and Sound Editing.
BAFTA Awards (1983): Won Best Makeup/Hair.
Golden Globes (1983): Nominated for Best Foreign Film.
Saturn Awards (1981): Won Best International Film.

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