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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Land of Lost Borders



Land of Lost Borders may be the first film with sound documentary on the Chihuahuan Desert. It was produced by Harry L Gordon for the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute and filmed largely in Big Bend National Park, Texas. The film is part 1 of a three part trilogy. While the film quality is not that great compared to the films being made today, none the less the production is a work of art. Narrated by Burgess Meredith, Land of Lost Borders is a deeply personal, almost spiritual journey through the Chihuahuan Desert in the company of an unseen wise old man.

I am working with the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute (CDRI) in helping to preserve Harry's work by uploading this and other films on YouTube. Soon CDRI will have its own channel.

I met Harry at an evening program in the Chisos Basin at the campground amphitheater when I was a ranger naturalist working for the National Park Service in Big Bend National Park sometime during the late 1970s. Harry told me about the project and we spent hours over the years visiting about good locations to film different animals and sequences.  On a number of occasions I helped him film some of the scenes he needed to complete the project.

Completed in 1982 Land of Lost Borders won a CINE GOLDEN EAGLE FILM & VIDEO COMPETITION award.

Land of Lost Borders, 26 minutes
PRODUCTION: Lehr Picture Company -
Alpine, TX
SPONSOR/DISTRIBUTOR: Chihuahuan
Desert Research Institute - Alpine, TX
Producer: Harry L. Gordon
Director: Harry L. Gordon
Writer: Marshall Riggan
Editor: Harry L. Gordon
Camera: Harry L. Gordon
Music: Bob Farrar
Sound: Harry L. Gordon


Rick LoBello
Education Curator
El Paso, Texas  79905


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