The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (2013)
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A documentary explores a series of mysterious disappearances among European expatriates on the Galapagos Islands during the 1930s.
The story
Set in the 1930s on the Galapagos Islands, this documentary explores the true story of disenchanted individuals from Europe who sought refuge there following World War I. Led by a German doctor, Friedrich Ritter, and a woman named Dore Strauch, the settlers eventually faced growing tensions. The arrival of other residents, including the Wittmers and the eccentric 'Baroness' Eloise von Wagner-Bousquet, sparked a series of disappearances and persistent rumors of foul play among the largely European expatriate community.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
This documentary shares a true story set in the 1930s on the Galapagos Islands. Disenchanted individuals from Europe sought refuge there after World War I, led by a German doctor, Friedrich Ritter, and a woman named Dore Strauch. The arrival of other settlers, including the Wittmers and the eccentric "Baroness" Eloise von Wagner-Bousquet, sparked tensions, disappearances, and rumors of foul play. Despite its excess, the film tells a remarkable tale, featuring actors like Cate Blanchett reading from diaries and reminiscences. It features the 1934 silent film The Empress of Floreana in its entirety, but the four-minute short is split into halves.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Daniel Geller; Dayna Goldfine
- Writers
- Daniel Geller · writer; Dayna Goldfine · writer; Celeste Schaefer Snyder · writer
- Cast and characters
- Cate Blanchett · Dore Strauch; Sebastian Koch · Heinz Wittmer; Thomas Kretschmann · Friedrich Ritter; Diane Kruger · Margret Wittmer; Connie Nielsen · Baroness von Wagner-Bousquet; Josh Radnor · John Garth; Gustaf Skarsgård · Rolf Blomberg
- Genres
- documentary; crime
- Themes
- mystery; expatriate life; historical crime
- Tone and mood
- lurid; entertaining
- Premise and plot tags
- true story; documentary; historical; mystery
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with critics noting it is 'stranger than fiction in a very entertaining way' despite not fully living up to its lurid premise.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 83% · review count: 53; Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 21
- Production trivia
- The film features the 1934 silent film The Empress of Floreana in its entirety, split into halves.; The voice cast includes Cate Blanchett, Sebastian Koch, Thomas Kretschmann, Diane Kruger, Connie Nielsen, Josh Radnor and Gustaf Skarsgård.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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