Dieter Binninger was an unconventional German inventor who became famous in the seventies and eighties with plenty of useful and revolutionary inventions like video surveillance systems and paper furniture - his most controversial one being an "eternal glowing lamp" with a four time longer duration than industrial standards lambs. Coming from an alternative hippie background, he soon became an enemy of the industry and finally bought a small East German factory in spring 1991 to start the production of his lamps against all odds and interventions by the big industrial companies. Six days later, he died in a mysterious plane crash that was never really solved.
British film maker Andrew Hood made this very personal documentary about the life of Binninger and his mysterious lamp. Being afraid of darkness, Hood's approach to Binningers inventions seems sometimes a bit too personal and distant from the life of Binninger. The film is far too long, and the mixture of personal comments, diary reports, interviews, video and film clips and experimental passages adds an even more enigmatic touch to Binningers fate instead of "bringing light into the darkness" and leaves the audience bored and confused.
Maybe a shorter and more conventional approach with reports and interviews only would have been a more satisfying way. Anyway, it's still an interesting movie about an even more interesting character.
British film maker Andrew Hood made this very personal documentary about the life of Binninger and his mysterious lamp. Being afraid of darkness, Hood's approach to Binningers inventions seems sometimes a bit too personal and distant from the life of Binninger. The film is far too long, and the mixture of personal comments, diary reports, interviews, video and film clips and experimental passages adds an even more enigmatic touch to Binningers fate instead of "bringing light into the darkness" and leaves the audience bored and confused.
Maybe a shorter and more conventional approach with reports and interviews only would have been a more satisfying way. Anyway, it's still an interesting movie about an even more interesting character.