Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (1988)

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers (WGA):

Harold T.P. Hayes (article)
Dian Fossey (work)
(more)

Release Date:

23 September 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

In a land of beauty, wonder and danger, she would follow a dream, fall in love and risk her life to save the mountain gorillas from extinction.

Plot:

The story of Dian Fossey, a scientist who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas, and later fought to protect them.

Plot Keywords:

Gorilla | Mountain | Africa | Environmental | Love For Animals

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Sigourney Weaver	...	Dian Fossey
Bryan Brown	...	Bob Campbell
Julie Harris	...	Roz Carr
John Omirah Miluwi	...	Sembagare
Iain Cuthbertson	...	Dr. Louis Leakey
Constantin Alexandrov	...	Van Veeten
Waigwa Wachira	...	Mukara
Iain Glen	...	Brendan
David Lansbury	...	Larry
Maggie O'Neill	...	Kim
Konga Mbandu	...	Rushemba
Michael J. Reynolds	...	Howard Dowd
Gordon Masten	...	Photographer
Peter Nduati	...	Batwa chief
Helen Fraser	...	Mme. Van Vecten
John Alexander	...	Mime artist
Peter Elliott	...	Mime artist
Denise Cheshire	...	Mime artist
Antonio Hoyos	...	Mime artist
Jody St. Michael	...	Mime artist

Directed by
Michael Apted

Writing credits (WGA)
Harold T.P. Hayes		(article)
Dian Fossey		(work)
Anna Hamilton Phelan		(story) and
Tab Murphy		(story)
Anna Hamilton Phelan		(screenplay)

Produced by
Rick Baker	....	associate producer
Terence A. Clegg	....	producer (as Terence Clegg)
Arne Glimcher	....	producer (as Arnold Glimcher)
Peter Guber	....	executive producer
Judy Kessler	....	co-producer
Robert Nixon	....	co-producer
Jon Peters	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
John Seale

Film Editing by
Stuart Baird

Casting by
Marion Dougherty
Mary Selway

Production Design by
John Graysmark

Art Direction by
Ken Court

Set Decoration by
Simon Wakefield

Costume Design by
Catherine Leterrier

Makeup Department
Stuart Artingstall	....	special effects hair designer
Rick Baker	....	special makeup effects
Christine Beveridge	....	makeup supervisor
Elaine Bowerbank	....	hair stylist
Tom Hester	....	special makeup designer
Colin Jamison	....	chief hair stylist
Norma Webb	....	makeup artist
Norman Cabrera	....	special makeup department sculptor: Rick Baker Studios (uncredited)
Tony Gardner	....	Rick Baker's Gorilla crew (uncredited)
Matt Rose	....	sculptor: Cinovation Studios (uncredited)
Bill Sturgeon	....	creature effects crew (uncredited)
Brian Wade	....	Rick Baker's gorilla crew (uncredited)

Production Management
Gerry Levy	....	unit manager: studio

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chris Brock	....	assistant director
Patrick Clayton	....	assistant director
Tim Lewis	....	assistant director
Robert Mugemana	....	assistant director
Simon Trevor	....	second unit director

Art Department
Ray Barrett	....	construction manager
John Butler	....	dressing props
Nobby Clark	....	construction floor stand-by
Steve Cooper	....	assistant art director
Roger W. Deer	....	sketch artist (as Roger Deer)
Danny Evans	....	props
Harold Fryer	....	construction floor stand-by
Kevin Harris	....	construction supervisor
Martin Hitchcock	....	assistant art director
George K. Kabiru	....	assistant greensman
Laurie Kerr	....	assistant construction manager
Bernard Harvey Langton	....	dressing props
John Lanzer	....	production buyer
Ted Lynch	....	construction floor stand-by
Phil Murray	....	construction floor stand-by
Keith Pitt	....	props
Roger Robson	....	greensman
Steve Short	....	props
Jack Dyer	....	chargehand stagehand (uncredited)
Michael King	....	construction buyer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don Brown	....	sound maintenance
David Docker	....	assistant sound editor
Pat Gilbert	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Handford	....	sound mixer
Archie Ludski	....	dialogue editor
Andy Nelson	....	dubbing mixer
Rocky Phelan	....	foley editor
Brian Saunders	....	assistant dubbing mixer
David Sharpe	....	assistant sound editor
Don Sharpe	....	supervising sound editor
John Stevenson	....	boom operator
Christian T. Cooke	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
David Harris	....	special effects supervisor
David Kindlon	....	special effects mechanical designer (as Dave Kindlon)
Phil Notaro	....	special effects mechanical designer
Michael Burnett	....	foam department supervisor (uncredited)
Clive R. Kay	....	special effects contact lenses (uncredited)
Larry Odien	....	animatronics (uncredited)
Randy Simper	....	animatronics specialist: Cinovation Creature Effects (uncredited)
Tim Turner	....	special makeup effects: Rick Baker (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robin Browne	....	special effects cameraman
Peter Watson	....	opticals (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Brierley	....	clapper loader
Steve Burgess	....	focus puller
Bob Campbell	....	special photography
Murray Close	....	still photographer
Bruce Davidson	....	focus puller: Zaire
Cordella Donohoe	....	clapper loader
Harry Eckford	....	key grip
John Fletcher	....	focus puller
Reg Garside	....	gaffer
Jamie Harcourt	....	camera operator
Jason Lehel	....	focus puller
Steve Mason	....	camera operator
Ray Meehan	....	best boy
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator
Paul Thompson	....	key grip
Richard Tindall	....	clapper loader
Simon Trevor	....	camera operator: second unit
Adam Dale	....	aerial assistant camera (uncredited)
Jason Lehel	....	camera operator: additional photography (uncredited)
Carlos Melville	....	electrician (uncredited)
Geoff Mulligan	....	aerial camera operator (uncredited)
Keith Murphy	....	Steadicam operator: intro sequence (uncredited)
Micky Reeves	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Helen Archer	....	location casting: Kenya
Lucy Boulting	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ken Crouch	....	wardrobe master (as Kenny Crouch)
Camilla Henneman	....	special costume key person
Fanny Jakubowicz	....	wardrobe assistant
Lisa Johnson	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Mark Gill	....	assistant editor
Steve Johnson	....	colorist
Russ Woolnough	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Robin Clarke	....	music editor
Joel Moss	....	music recordist
Patrick Russ	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Barbara Allen	....	location manager: Rwanda
Jennifer Alward	....	consultant
Michele Archambault Dulman	....	assistant: Mr. Glimcher
Paul Babu Kamau	....	production runner (as Babu Kamau)
Rona Brown	....	animal trainer
Stephanie Clark	....	contact: London
Con Cremins	....	location accountant
Susan d'Arcy	....	unit publicist (as Susan D'Arcy)
Peter Elliott	....	choreographer: mime artists
Vic Floyd	....	unit car
Carl S. Griffin	....	location accountant (as Carl Griffin)
Mary Holdsworth	....	script supervisor
Robin Hollister	....	special assistant interpreter
Allan James	....	location manager: Kenya
Dennis B. Kane	....	consultant (as Dennis Kane)
Leila Kirkpatrick	....	production coordinator
Patricia Newcomb	....	publicity coordinator (as Patricia Newcombe)
Deo Ntakirutimana	....	production assistant
Cecilia Penasse	....	location production assistant
Pat Pennelegion	....	production coordinator
Ann Pollack	....	assistant: Mr. Apted
Anna Reinhardt	....	assistant to producers
Alan Root	....	special gorilla photographer: Zaire
Monty Ruben	....	location liaison: Kenya
Christine Samways	....	deputy accountant
Matthew Scudamore	....	floor runner
Alex Shoumatoff	....	consultant
Steve Sleap	....	puppeteer
Keith Stack	....	medic: location unit (as Dr. Keith Stack)
Karen Tangaere	....	assistant script supervisor
John Trehy	....	financial controller
Barbara Tyack	....	assistant: Mr. Trevor
Thierry Verrier	....	assistant location manager: Rwanda
Julia Waye	....	production runner
Aron Clayton	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Peter Watson	....	title designer (uncredited)

Thanks
Rosamund Carr	....	gratefully acknowledged assistance (as Mrs. Rosamund Carr)
Stacey Coil	....	gratefully acknowledged assistance: Digit Fund
Mark Condiotti	....	gratefully acknowledged assistance: assistant director, Mountain Gorilla Project
Diane McMeekin	....	gratefully acknowledged assistance: African Wildlife Foundation
Perez Olindo	....	gratefully acknowledged assistance: director of Wildlife Conservation and Management Department, Kenya (as Dr. Perez Olindo)
David Watts	....	gratefully acknowledged assistance: former director of the Karische Research Station, Rwanda (as Dr. David Watts)

Production Companies

• Guber-Peters Company, The (as A Guber-Peters Production)
• Universal Pictures
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1992) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Elliniki Kinimatografiki Enosi (ELKE) (1989) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1989) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1989) (Greece) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (Canada)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (non-USA)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Joe Dunton & Company  camera and lenses
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Peter Watson Associates  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Gorillas in the Mist: The Adventure of Dian Fossey (International: English title) (poster title) (International: English title) (DVD title)
Gorillas in the Mist (USA) (short title)
Gorilles dans la brume (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
De dimhöljda bergens gorillor (Sweden) [sv]
Gorilas en la niebla (Spain) [es]
Gorilas na Bruma (Portugal) [pt]
Goriles stin omihli (Greece) [el]
Gorillák a ködben (Hungary) [hu]
Gorilla nella nebbia (Italy) [it]
Gorillas im Nebel (West Germany) [de]
Gorilot B'Arafell (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Gorily v mlze (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Goryle we mgle (Poland) [pl]
Nas Montanhas dos Gorilas (Brazil) [pt]
Nas Montanhas dos Gorilas - A Aventura de Dian Fossey (Brazil) [pt]
Sumuisten vuorten gorillat (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Malaysia:U | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (1999) | UK:15 (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Karisoke Research Centre, Virunga Conservation Area, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Company:

Guber-Peters Company, The

Trivia:

Sembagare (John Omirah Miluwi), is based on Rosamund Carr's former house boy and now co-worker at the Imbabazi orphanage, which they both set up in 1994 after the Rwandan Genocide, and still operational.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Diane did not try to convince Leakey to send her to Africa, nor did she volunteer to remove her appendix, quite the opposite: In 1966, Leakey contacted Fossey and urged her to study gorillas in the wild as an experiment. At first Fossey was reluctant citing her lack of experience, but eventually agreed upon further coercion. To test her enthusiasm Leakey asked Fossey to have her appendix removed in the pretense of health measures which she then did.

Quotes:

Dian Fossey: Get off my mountain!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Vecinos: Venta de garage (#1.17)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

September in the Rain

THE ENVIRONMENTAL WARS

ON New Year's Day 1978, a researcher on patrol in Rwanda's Park of the Volcanoes found the mutilated body of a male gorilla in the forest undergrowth. It was a gruesome sight. The body had multiple stab wounds from spear thrusts, and had been grossly mutilated. Like the victim of some bizarre torso murderer, the young silverback gorilla's head and both its hands had been savagely hacked off and carried away.

That event made headlines all over the world, because the gorilla was called Digit, a name given by the dedicated American scientist, Dian Fossey. She had known Digit since birth, 10 years before.

This fact would be the inspiration for the film "Gorillas in the mist: the story of Dian Fossey.

(Source: "The Environmental Wars" by David Day, a Greenpeace member).