Documentary backdrop image for Under Blue Skies (2020)

Documentary backdrop image for Under Blue Skies (2020)

202070 minPGdocumentary

10.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

Financial Crisis

Under Blue Skies

202070 minPGdocumentary

10.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

A devastating rise in overdoses marks the emergence of heroin in the Engadine during the 1980s, as local youth rebel against traditional society.

Financial Crisis

Genres

Director

Synopsis

A devastating rise in overdoses marks the emergence of heroin in the Engadine during the 1980s, as local youth rebel against traditional society.

People

Ivo Zendirector

Synopsis

In the Engadine valley during the 1980s, local youth face the rising threat of heroin. As the drug spreads, the community responds by isolating itself from the crisis. Overdoses increase, marking a tragic shift in a once-idyllic setting. Personal stories reveal the struggles of those affected by addiction. The film questions how these painful memories can fit into the region's cultural history. Directed by Ivo Zen, "Under Blue Skies" runs for 70 minutes and is produced in Switzerland.

Awards & Festivals

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Guidelines (2026)

Guidelines

2026•1h16m•★8.0TMDB

In rural Canada, adolescents navigate their relationships with authority figures while experiencing the contrasts between structured classrooms and the freedom of outdoor play.

Through a Blue Lens (2010)

Through a Blue Lens

2010•52m•★7.1TMDB

Six months after a candid interview, a young woman named Shannon becomes a drug addict, illustrating the rapid decline faced by many in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Through a Blue Lens

Oxyana (2013)

Oxyana

2013•1h18m•★6.3TMDB

Oxycodone addiction has transformed a once-thriving community in Oceana, West Virginia, where many residents now sell pills instead of working in the mines.

The ICE Epidemic: Australia's Fatal Addiction (Reggie Yates Documentary) (2021)

The ICE Epidemic: Australia's Fatal Addiction (Reggie Yates Documentary)

Ice use in Australia has increased by 300% over the last five years, leading to a surge in violent crime and addiction across communities.

The ICE Epidemic: Australia's Fatal Addiction (Reggie Yates Documentary)

Uphill: The darker side of Port Elizabeth (2007)

Uphill: The darker side of Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth's Central area faces significant challenges as residents confront rampant drug abuse and violence surrounding the notorious 'Drug Hotel'.

Uphill: The darker side of Port Elizabeth

Crime Down Under: Undercover (Crime Documentary) (2018)

Crime Down Under: Undercover (Crime Documentary)

Forty years of undercover policing in New Zealand reveal the personal toll on agents infiltrating organized crime and drug networks.

Crime Down Under: Undercover (Crime Documentary)

Why Europe is Flooded with Drugs (2022)

Why Europe is Flooded with Drugs

A 300% increase in heroin entering Europe has been linked to instability from the failed war in Afghanistan and evolving drug trafficking routes.

Why Europe is Flooded with Drugs

Addicted And Pregnant At The Fringes Of Society (2025)

Addicted And Pregnant At The Fringes Of Society

Mount Druitt's residents grapple with the harsh realities of poverty and addiction, as personal disputes escalate into public family conflicts.

Addicted And Pregnant At The Fringes Of Society

On the Overdose Frontline (2026)

On the Overdose Frontline

In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, a community of misfits, artists, and drug users operates a safe injection site to combat the fentanyl overdose crisis.

On the Overdose Frontline

Inside Malaysia's Heroin Problem (2025)

Inside Malaysia's Heroin Problem

In Malaysia's east coast fishing communities, a persistent heroin problem raises questions about cultural influences, poor choices, and the effectiveness of law enforcement.

Inside Malaysia's Heroin Problem

Behind the Gate (2025)

Behind the Gate

Mark Jerardino shares his passion for horse racing by highlighting the training of a filly named Spectacular Sight and insights from industry figures like Joe Pesci.

Behind the Gate

Corruption in Andorra (2024)

Corruption in Andorra

Andorra's banks manage over 49 billion euros, more than 100 times the country's annual budget of 470 million euros, raising concerns about financial stability.

Corruption in Andorra

Explore Under Blue Skies

Trailer Awards Topics FAQ Stream

Where else to watch

Guidelines (2026)

Guidelines

2026•1h16m•★8.0TMDB

In rural Canada, adolescents navigate their relationships with authority figures while experiencing the contrasts between structured classrooms and the freedom of outdoor play.

No digital watch option in your country

Through a Blue Lens (2010)

Through a Blue Lens

2010•52m•★7.1TMDB

Six months after a candid interview, a young woman named Shannon becomes a drug addict, illustrating the rapid decline faced by many in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Through a Blue Lens

No digital watch option in your country

Heroin(e) (2017)

Heroin(e)

2017•39m•★6.9TMDB

Ten times the national average, Huntington, West Virginia, faces a staggering opioid overdose rate as first responders and community leaders work to combat the crisis.

Overdosed (2021)

Overdosed

2021•1h29m•★7.2TMDB

Interviews with former drug dealers, over-prescribing doctors, and DEA agents reveal how the pharmaceutical industry targeted impoverished communities for opioid sales.

Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street (2018)

Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street

2018•1h15m•★6.8TMDB

Five young people struggle with heroin addiction over three years, facing drug-related crimes, disease, and the threat of fatal overdoses.

Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street

Heroin: Cape Cod, USA (2015)

Heroin: Cape Cod, USA

2015•1h15m•★6.8TMDB

Eight young addicts in Cape Cod confront daily struggles with heroin addiction, revealing the crisis affecting their families and communities.

Heroin: Cape Cod, USA

Hausnummer Null (2024)

Hausnummer Null

2024•1h35m•★10.0TMDB

A resident of a suburban train station in Germany confronts heroin addiction while seeking help and support from his neighbors.

Hausnummer Null

Blue Bag Life (2023)

Blue Bag Life

2023•1h41m•★5.8TMDB

Rebecca Hirsch Lloyd-Evans follows a daughter as she manages her relationship with her mother, who struggles with heroin addiction, and her partner.

Black Metal Veins (2012)

Black Metal Veins

2012•1h32m•★5.0TMDB

Five heroin users share their experiences of addiction, revealing the physical and mental toll it takes on their lives.

Black Metal Veins

Children Below Deck (2018)

Children Below Deck

2018•1h30m•★8.8TMDB

Three generations share their experiences of trauma and history in a 90-minute documentary set in north-eastern Europe.

Children Below Deck

Browse more like this

The ICE Epidemic: Australia's Fatal Addiction (Reggie Yates Documentary) (2021)

The ICE Epidemic: Australia's Fatal Addiction (Reggie Yates Documentary)

Ice use in Australia has increased by 300% over the last five years, leading to a surge in violent crime and addiction across communities.

The ICE Epidemic: Australia's Fatal Addiction (Reggie Yates Documentary)

No digital watch option in your country

Crime Down Under: Undercover (Crime Documentary) (2018)

Crime Down Under: Undercover (Crime Documentary)

Forty years of undercover policing in New Zealand reveal the personal toll on agents infiltrating organized crime and drug networks.

Crime Down Under: Undercover (Crime Documentary)

No digital watch option in your country

Why Europe is Flooded with Drugs (2022)

Why Europe is Flooded with Drugs

A 300% increase in heroin entering Europe has been linked to instability from the failed war in Afghanistan and evolving drug trafficking routes.

Why Europe is Flooded with Drugs

No digital watch option in your country

Addicted And Pregnant At The Fringes Of Society (2025)

Addicted And Pregnant At The Fringes Of Society

Mount Druitt's residents grapple with the harsh realities of poverty and addiction, as personal disputes escalate into public family conflicts.

Addicted And Pregnant At The Fringes Of Society

No digital watch option in your country

Inside Malaysia's Heroin Problem (2025)

Inside Malaysia's Heroin Problem

In Malaysia's east coast fishing communities, a persistent heroin problem raises questions about cultural influences, poor choices, and the effectiveness of law enforcement.

Inside Malaysia's Heroin Problem

No digital watch option in your country

Using (2007)

Using

2007•1h45m•★6.5TMDB

Two drug addicts in Guangzhou, China, become involved in heroin trafficking over a three-year period, revealing the hidden subculture of addiction.

Out Of My Head (1995)

Out Of My Head

1995•1h3m•★7.5TMDB

A teenager in the mid-1990s experiments with various drugs to escape his socially isolated life in the United States.

Feathered Cocaine (2010)

Feathered Cocaine

2010•1h20m•★6.3TMDB

Falcon smuggling ranks as the fourth most profitable illegal trade globally, following drugs, people, and weapons.

Feathered Cocaine

Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century (2011)

Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century

2011•1h32m•★8.0TMDB

Over five years, filmmakers captured the stories of independent music labels like Hydra Head and Neurot, featuring bands such as Neurosis and Godspeed You.

Blood, Sweat + Vinyl: DIY in the 21st Century

Browse more by Ivo Zen

View all films →

King of the Airs: Notes on a Friendship (2017)

King of the Airs: Notes on a Friendship

2017

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →