NTSC/Widescreen/TRT 10:00/Color and B&W/2022
Amidst the Stars is a science-fiction short film about an astronaut whose malfunctioning spacecraft has sent him off-course beyond an anticipated orbit of Mars, casting him deeper into space than any human has ever traveled. After efforts to repair his ship fail, he sends a final transmission back to NASA and his family. In this video message, he reflects on his career in interstellar travel, his feelings of isolation and loneliness, his parting messages to his wife and young daughter, and his conclusions about a life lived in pursuit of space exploration.
The film’s cultural examination of environmental exploration is provided by the audiovisual message that the astronaut sends back to Earth in which he reflects on his thoughts and feelings about his home planet from the perspective of someone further away from it than any human has ever been; as someone who knows he will never be able to return to it; and as someone who has made a career seeking answers to Earthbound environmental problems through interstellar exploration and science. The film also addresses these themes through the content and rhythms of its photography and editing strategies, which employ the use of animation, graphics, docudrama and nonfiction footage, as well as hints of magic realism.
The environmental impact of digital cinema as a media form is addressed through the production’s use of computers, webcams, microphones, and other tools of “remote shooting” that aim to lessen the (traditionally quite heavy) footprint of film production.
The impact of COVID19 on the logistical and creative environments of filmmaking as an industry, art form and creative practice is examined through this production’s innovative approaches and workarounds to deal with the limitations incurred by social distancing, testing, contact tracing, and other practices necessitated by working in an enormously collaborative medium during a pandemic.
Prof. Morrow’s films are viewable at his Vimeo channel.
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