7.3/10
411
7 user 5 critic

Light Years Away (1981)

Les années lumière (original title)
| Drama | 20 May 1981 (France)
Light Years Away Poster
A young drifter meets up with a strange old man who claims that he has been taught to fly by birds.

Director:

Alain Tanner

Writers:

Daniel Odier (novel), Alain Tanner

Stars:

Trevor Howard, Mick Ford, Bernice Stegers | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

Add Image
See all 6 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
In the White City (1983)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

A Swiss sailor jumps ship in Lisbon, tired of the noisy engine room, the ship "a floating factory of crazy people." He rents a room and does little. He writes letters to his lover, ... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Bruno Ganz, Teresa Madruga, Julia Vonderlinn
Next »
Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (1976)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

The European equivalent of "The Return of the Secaucus 7," this Swiss film looks at the lives of several men and women in their 30s as they confront the slim gains of the "revolutionary" ... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Myriam Boyer, Jean-Luc Bideau, Miou-Miou
Next »
Charles, Dead or Alive (1969)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

On the 100th anniversary of the founding of a watchmaking company in Geneva, Charles Dé the founder's 50-year-old grandson has had it: he speaks eccentrically to a reporter, recognizing his... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: François Simon, Marie-Claire Dufour, Marcel Robert
Next »
The Salamander (1971)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Two men, arty though somewhat staid, are drawn to the spirited and quixotic Rosemonde, a young working-class woman whom they meet because they're writing a teleplay about a minor but ... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Bulle Ogier, Jean-Luc Bideau, Jacques Denis
Next »
Jonas et Lila, à demain (1999)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

A fake sequel to Jonas qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000 (1976). Jonas is now indeed 25, has studied cinema and is living with his black lover, Lila, in Geneva, Switzerland. Between disillusions... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Jérôme Robart, Aïssa Maïga, Natalia Dontcheva
Next »
Messidor (1979)
Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

Two young women from very different backgrounds journey into the countryside seeking respite from unsatisfactory lives and relationships, but ultimately find that there is no way back to ... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Clémentine Amouroux, Catherine Rétoré, Franziskus Abgottspon
Next »
Le journal de Lady M (1993)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

She's a beautiful gifted performer, but her work is not the sort that invites popular acclaim. Despite the fact that she is unlikely to become famous, she enjoys her life as a performer who... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Myriam Mézières, Juanjo Puigcorbé, Félicité Wouassi
Next »
Le milieu du monde (1974)
Romance | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

Paul is married, a successful engineer, and a conservative candidate in an upcoming local election. He falls in love with Adriana, a café waitress from Italy. Paul's party is very critical ... See full summary »

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Olimpia Carlisi, Philippe Léotard, Juliet Berto
Next »
Le retour d'Afrique (1973)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

An ode to liberated speech and to the power of words, "those one speaks to others, those one speaks in silence", Alain Tanner's third film is inspired by a poet and a poetic text which deeply affected him as a young director.

Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Josée Destoop, François Marthouret, Juliet Berto
Next »
Requiem (1998)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  
Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Francis Frappat, André Marcon, Alexandre Zloto
Next »
La vallée fantôme (1987)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  
Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacob Berger, Laura Morante
Next »
Paul s'en va (2004)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  
Director: Alain Tanner
Stars: Madeleine Piguet, Julien Tsongas, Lucie Zelger
Edit

Cast

Credited cast:
Trevor Howard ... Yoshka Poliakeff
Mick Ford ... Jonas
Bernice Stegers ... Betty
Henri Virlojeux Henri Virlojeux ... Lawyer
Odile Schmitt Odile Schmitt ... Dancer
Joe Pilkington Joe Pilkington ... Thomas
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gerard Mannix Flynn Gerard Mannix Flynn ... Drunken boy (as Mannix Flynn)
Don Foley Don Foley ... Cafe owner
Gabrielle Keenan Gabrielle Keenan ... Girl at village dance
Johnny Murphy ... Man in bar (as John Murphy)
Gerry O'Brien ... Bar owner (as Jerry O'Brien)
Jerry O'Brien Jerry O'Brien ... Bar owner
Louis Samier Louis Samier ... Trucker
Vincent Smith Vincent Smith ... Cop
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

A young drifter meets up with a strange old man who claims that he has been taught to fly by birds.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

drifter | flying machine | junkyard | based on novel | See All (4) »

Taglines:

An old man with a secret... A young man seeking an answer...

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

Switzerland | France

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1981 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

Light Years Away See more »

Filming Locations:

County Galway, Ireland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pheonix,Slotint See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Alain Tanner's first feature film in English. See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
The best movie I ever saw!
6 July 2010 | by willemvanseumeren – See all my reviews

This film is great. It's a saga. It tells you about the magic of life and the unlimited possibilities you have. This film is magic, it is filled with suspense of the best kind: mixed with wonder. It starts with a guy who is a loser. He gets in contact with an old man who is a teacher as a teacher should be. A teacher of life. The young man is tested to the limit. It makes this movie great, and it makes you part of the adventure. To me the end was a bit puzzling. That's one of the reasons I'd like to see it again. I saw this movie almost 30 years ago with a friend and we still agree it is the best movie we ever saw. Like everybody else here I'm trying to get it on DVD.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 7 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Rent or Buy Popular Movies With Prime Video

Explore popular movies available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Visit Prime Video to explore more titles


Clear your history

Recently Viewed