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Mystery of the Nile

Play trailer Poster for Mystery of the Nile Released Feb 17, 2005 47m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In 2004 a scientific team guided by geologist Pasquale Scaturro and kayaker Gordon Brown sets out on a 114-day voyage to be the first people to travel all of Africa's Nile River, the longest in the world. This documentary follows the expedition, which takes the group through dangerous rapids and past many historic ruins. Along the way, the multinational team of scientists and journalists encounters dangerous animals and endures bandit attacks while pursuing the historic feat.

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Mystery of the Nile

Critics Reviews

View All (15) Critics Reviews
John Monaghan Detroit Free Press Steeped in important discoveries, yet I never get a clear idea of what these people are up to. Rated: 2/4 Feb 10, 2006 Full Review Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune The filmmakers document some of the more-difficult challenges the expedition faced, but they also provide an informative overview of the river's biology and history, as well as introducing some of the people who depend on the river. Rated: 3/4 Oct 6, 2005 Full Review Melinda Ennis Atlanta Journal-Constitution Provides a banquet of stunning scenery while making the most of the sweeping, panoramic capabilities of the Imax format. Rated: A- Jul 31, 2005 Full Review Urban Cinefile Critics Urban Cinefile Although the title implies we are about to delve into the ancient past to discover the mysteries of the Nile, this IMAX big screen documentary is more of a combo of extreme sports with but a splash of history Nov 10, 2006 Full Review Edward Ortiz Sacramento Bee Director Jordi Llompart packs so much material into a scant 47 minutes that you get the feeling that you've read a Cliffs Notes version of the journey when what you crave is the full fleshed-out story. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 6, 2006 Full Review Chris Hewitt St. Paul Pioneer Press Mystery of the Nile is the sort of movie large-format theaters were made for: Daredevils do crazy things, and we experience them from the comfort of padded chairs. Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 7, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (9) audience reviews
Audience Member Don't be mislead. This isn't a documentary about any kind of mystery. It neither explores the mysterious history nor the present day mysteries of the Nile. It instead follows an American yokel and a group of inexperienced kayakers as they travel the nile from Ethiopia to the Mediteranean. The sappy narration weeps personal triumphs and touristy descriptions in what should have been a very serious and thoughtful journey. It features all the usual racist American stand-by's too, like whistful celebrations of Christian achievements along the Nile, while the Sudan is described as a place "veiled under the cloak of Islam." Everywhere they go, what should be written on the T-Shirt of every American tourist, "don't mind us... we're just here to ruin everything" seems blared out in the awkward silences spent trying to figure out how many cheeseburgers you could buy with the money some people make in a year. It's a celebration of seven people, not of the Nile. It barely explores the river itself for that matter, preferring to skip 70 days along the journey to take you to a scene of a nifty camel ride they took to see the Christian ruins. And it's not a mystery... unless of course the mystery is: why the hell were THESE the people chosen to navigate the Nile from source to delta?? My favorite part, and I'm paraphrasing: "A wise river-boat captain told us we'd never cross _ Lake. So two of us decided to separate from our group on that lake and try to cross it at night. We nearly died! Feel Sorry for us! I have Malaria now!" Hmmm... maybe respecting the advice of these "Mosloms" might be a good thing on this trip. But I guess you have a GPS and a nice chunk of funding to keep you insulated, you dumb, hippie-bred, feel-good, milk-and-cookies-and-a-snuggle-with-the-teddy-bear fool. I hope you each came home and all died of plague. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member The music is so good. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member It is more like a scripted movie than a documentary...but after all, it has nice scenery to watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Absolutely breathtaking, especially airplane shots, these were the first people in history to do this and with a limited crew this movie deserves ALOT more than 67% or 60%, great film Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I thought this film was totally neato. I felt that the cast really made the dangers of the Nile real for the audience, including close encounters with hippos, crocodiles, wild rapids and drowning. A picturesque view of Africa's revered waterway. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member my sister and i like to watch this when we are bored.... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Mystery of the Nile

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 2004 a scientific team guided by geologist Pasquale Scaturro and kayaker Gordon Brown sets out on a 114-day voyage to be the first people to travel all of Africa's Nile River, the longest in the world. This documentary follows the expedition, which takes the group through dangerous rapids and past many historic ruins. Along the way, the multinational team of scientists and journalists encounters dangerous animals and endures bandit attacks while pursuing the historic feat.
Director
Jordi Llompart
Producer
Jordi Llompart, Greg MacGillivray
Screenwriter
Jordi Llompart
Production Co
MacGillivray Freeman Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 17, 2005, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 18, 2019
Runtime
47m
Aspect Ratio
IMAX (1.43:1)
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