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Reviews
Zion Canyon: Treasure of the Gods (1996)
Watch it with the sound turned off
I don't really know what the filmmakers were trying to achieve here. Instead of a documentary about Zion, we are presented with a series of useless "reenacted" made up stories. You learn nothing specific about the geological or human history of the region. Real history is rewritten and fiction is presented as fact: there are no kivas in Zion; the photographer is fictional; and the Pueblo uprising depicted here actually took place in New Mexico!
Furthermore, it seems like half of the movie was not even filmed in Zion!! I'm no expert, but I have been to Zion twice, and I've also visited numerous other parks out west. Off the top of my head, I recognized Monument Valley, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Dead Horse Point, and Mesa Verde (which is not even in Utah!). The shots of these outside parks are integrated in the film with no explanation that they are not Zion.
I find all of this to be quite a shame, because it was beautifully filmed and there was so much potential here. So watch it for the scenery if you want, but don't expect to learn anything.