The Valley (Obscured by Clouds)

Like trying to follow the ramblings of an old hippy whose brain has been fried by too much acid, watching the counter-cultural films of the 60s and 70s can be hard work. The Valley (1972), which tells the story of Viviane, a bored diplomat's wife who joins a small group of freaks on their expedition to find a magical valley in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, certainly has all the clumsy symbolism and meandering storytelling of its time, but with a Gallic flavour.

Viviane is très chic, with tousled blond hair and trouser suits to die for, while her companions' clothes remain clean and pressed even in the jungle, as they would only on a French hippy. The obligatory drug trips and free love are best ignored in favour of the remarkable images of the Papuan landscape and its bewitching inhabitants. Like the journey undertaken by its protagonists, The Valley is frustrating and possibly pointless, but the view is spectacular. [Keir Roper-Caldbeck]