Coincidence in Paradise 1999
Distributed by First Run/Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Producer n/a
Directed by Matthias von Gunten
VHS, color, 88 min.
College - Adult
Anthropology
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Kathleen Loomis, Electronic Resources/Systems Librarian, Reed Library, SUNY College at FredoniaCoincidence in Paradise is a film about human origins. Narrated in German with subtitles, the film outlines current research into the origin of the human species by interviewing top scientists in the field. Among those interviewed are Maeve Leakey (of those famous Leakeys), Kamoya Kimeu, a world famous fossil collector/finder, Tim White, a paleontologist who studies early humans, and others in the fields of evolution and paleontology.
What is interesting about this film is that it interviews these famous scientists in their work environments, giving you insight into their research and thought processes. The viewer also learns an incredible amount about the early origins of humans and how the research is conducted. The interviewees are interesting and animated about their subjects, making the film more interesting for the viewer.
Well photographed and edited, this film would be an asset to an upper-level college anthropology course studying human origins. Recommended