First Contact (1983 film)
"First Contact" is the first documentary in what later became known as "The Highland Trilogy". The other two films are "Joe Leahy's Neighbours" (1989) and "Black Harvest" (1992). These three films, between them, have won some thirty major awards, included each film winning both the Grand Prix at the Festival Cinéma du Réel in Paris and AFI Award for Best Documentary.
Beat Kuert
Beat Kuert trained himself in visual arts in the 1960s and 1970s in Zurich: there were few cinema schools in that period and Kuert was against these institutions that tried to maintain and teach ideologies from the past. At the time, artists felt the need to take their inspiration from the streets, breaking down traditional barriers between intellectuals and workers, between creators and viewers. While sharing those ideas and drawing on the vitality of that period, Kuert chose to make his first feature film in a natural setting, conducting a dialogue with his inner world and filming in the mountains. His works sought an introspective point of view and this aspect is still a constant feature of his work. Turnus Film AG in Zurich noticed the artist's experimental short films and documentaries, and between 1968 and 1970 Kuert worked for the company as an editor and director. In 1971, during a nine-month trip to Latin America, he shot his first feature-length documentary, "Ein Erfolg unserer Entwicklungshilfe", examining development policies in Latin America.