Desert Winds (1994)

22% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(41 ratings)

Two strangers are brought together by a powerful quirk of nature in this drama. Eugene (Michael Nickles) is a man in his thirties looking for a new meaning in his life. He thinks he may have found something when he discovers a mysterious wind tunnel in the desert that will carry the human voice for… More Two strangers are brought together by a powerful quirk of nature in this drama. Eugene (Michael Nickles) is a man in his thirties looking for a new meaning in his life. He thinks he may have found something when he discovers a mysterious wind tunnel in the desert that will carry the human voice for an unusual distance -- and he finds himself talking to Jackie (Heather Graham), a beautiful twentysomething who lives over 500 miles away. As Eugene and Jackie get to know each other without seeing one another, they find themselves caught up in the mysterious magic of the wind currents, said to have beneficial spiritual energies by Native Americans living in the desert. Desert Winds was written, directed, and produced by leading man Michael Nickles; pop singer Adam Ant also appears in a small role. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Michael A. Nickles
Written By: Michael A. Nickles
Genres: Drama, Special Interest

In Theaters: Dec 31, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Aug 1, 2000

Critic Reviews

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Arriving more than a few years after author Robert Bly popularized the concept of male self-exploration, this Canadian documentary seems a bit too touchy-feely even for the age of Oprah.
Ronnie Scheib, Variety
The tribe's unfailing politeness outside of activities specifically designed to arouse testosterone underlines the suspiciously benign nature of the entire endeavor.
Dana Stevens, New York Times
Though it generates its share of unintentional giggles, François Kohler's documentary manages to take us to a seldom-visited place: the hidden corners of the straight male mind.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Desert Wind will be of interest to men -- and especially to women, who might learn much they didn't know about the opposite sex.
Jan Stuart, Newsday
We sense that the balance of the film's observations is being skewed by the camera's preference for the emotional exhibitionists in the bunch.
Joshua Land, Village Voice
It's tough to connect with the almost context-free displays of emotion, and a century into the era of psychoanalysis, there's little about the men's assorted troubles with mothers and fathers, wives and girlfriends, that comes as a revelation.
Noel Murray, AV Club
Here's what Kohler isn't telling us: The kind of men who'd sign up for a trip like this aren't exactly the kind who'd have trouble opening up, and the kind of men who could afford a trip like this aren't exactly 'regular guys.'
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
In the end, unusual setting and all, 'Desert Wind' boils down to recorded group therapy, maybe necessary but awfully awkward to watch.