Lessons Of Darkness

A sinister, poetic vision of new landscapes that have come into existence in Kuwait… a futuristic National Park. Werner Herzog managed to record on film a unique natural phenomenon as well as a human tragedy. By the end of the Gulf War the Iraqi army had set 600 oil fields on fire. Firefighters from all over the world worked relentlessly for months with great personal commitment and risk to put out the fires and to 'minimize' the terrible damage. More oil was lost every 8 hours than would be needed to cover the energy needs of a country like Great Britain for an entire day. The film team was granted unlimited access to the burning oil fields in the north of Kuwait, which became known as the 'killing fields.' The film shows landscapes on the verge of death… but also the commitment of people while fighting against the burning oil wells that left post-war Kuwait in ruins.