I talked to Wolf by phone about the resulting film, Spaceship Earth, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and is opening on digital platforms and through virtual theatrical engagements on May 8. We live in a time when some people’s activism seems to take the shape of tweeting a lot. Get our newsletter in your inbox twice a week. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles, videos, and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires. Right. When you court that level of media attention, when you become a phenomenon of that scale, its narrative definitely spirals out of your control. “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. People come to them with skepticism, and that’s only increased over time. The structure was called Biosphere 2 (because Biosphere 1 is Earth), and it was a huge media sensation. How to actually make a difference if you’re nervous about the election. The bizarre story is both a cautionary tale and a hopeful lesson of how a small group of dreamers can potentially reimagine a new world. Now what? But it also suffered from people’s voyeuristic fascination, more than perhaps they had anticipated. There’s an opportunity for us to look out for each other in a new way. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 87% based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 6.94/10. Spaceship Earth tells their story. I wanted to tell a bigger story with a longer view. But these guys were really rebuked and slammed by the media. I wasn’t able to substantiate this, but there’s been some writing on Biosphere 2 that suggests that John de Mol, the creator of Big Brother, was inspired by Biosphere 2 as well. Is Trump sicker than his doctors are saying? The White House isn’t listening. How did you convince them that you were for real and that you wanted to tell their story? Scientists say the coronavirus is airborne. Is it immoral if you feel schadenfreude about Trump’s Covid-19? Spaceship Earth is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Matt Wolf about the 1991 experiment that saw eight individuals spend two years quarantined inside of a self-engineered replica of Earth's ecosystem, dubbed Biosphere 2. The unconventional group who had conceived of the project, the so-called Synergists, had a fascinating history beyond that, as well as a one-of-a-kind archive. Documentarian Matt Wolf decided to explore the Biosphere 2 project by backing way up and beginning with the Synergists, delving into their archives and talking to the members of the group and the Biospherians — most of whom are still alive — about what really went on. Spaceship Earth is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Matt Wolf about the 1991 experiment that saw eight individuals spend two years quarantined inside of a self-engineered replica of Earth's ecosystem, dubbed Biosphere 2. If you remember the media coverage of Biosphere 2 — or the 1996 Pauly Shore movie Biodome, which is (very) loosely based on the experiment — then you might remember the Biosphere 2 “experiment” as having flopped due to the interpersonal conflicts and scientific controversies that inevitably arose. Their ambition is so high, and they aren’t deterred by lack of experience. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today. The way the group courts media attention feels oddly innocent — like it’s done in good faith, to attract attention to an issue, rather than just creating spectacle for personal gain. But I think you’re right: This was really on the precipice of the kind of voyeuristic entertainment that we still live with today. To me, it’s both an inspiring story about human achievement and cautionary about the limitations of that as well. So, I think the idea that one could combine business enterprise and ecology for endeavors that are both ecologically sustainable and economically sustainable was definitely a product of its time. They recognized that what they were doing was of historical significance, so they began filming as early as the 1960s. I wonder if the audience’s expectation that there will be conflict produces enough tension to keep us going. I imagine that coming into this situation, where people who were involved with the project back then got burned by the media, must have been difficult. There’s no conflict.” Of course, eventually, there is. The Roxie is thrilled to partner with Neon to bring you Matt Wolf’s SPACESHIP EARTH. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower you through understanding. It’s not about one person. Right. They’re not trying to become celebrities. Part of my work was to convince them that I wasn’t doing what the conventional media did, in terms of depicting Biosphere 2. There’s a history of back-to-the-land counterculturalists who get involved in cyber cultures — it’s, in some sense, the history of neoliberalism. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. There are so many dimensions that would become standard for reality television and its voyeurism at play in Biosphere 2. The project was part of a long string of commercial ventures from a sort-of commune of inventors and forward thinkers that started in the 1970s, a group that called themselves “Synergists.” And the eventual end of Biosphere 2 involved a twist nobody could have seen coming. This group, though, wasn’t hippies; they were capitalists. Spaceship Earth is the true, stranger-than-fiction, adventure of eight visionaries who in 1991 spent two years quarantined inside of a self-engineered replica of Earth’s ecosystem called BIOSPHERE 2. Not in the sense of business relationships, but in the sense of collaboration and building trust with subjects. To attend an online screening + filmmaker Q&A on Sunday, May 10 3:00PT via Movie Night click here and select The Roxie as the theater you want to support. As I started to get a sense of the scope of the material, this unfamiliar story about this group of outliers, I recognized that I wanted to follow their journey and to tell their story. But [this story says] that it is possible to find a smaller group of people in your smaller world that have common goals and to do things together, and that there could be a cumulative significance to that if people band together. Amid mixed messages on the president’s health, the White House released photos of Trump working that some critics say were staged. Vox’s work is reaching more people than ever, but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn. To figure out how to do something unique based on a nuanced understanding of my subjects’ lives or work. I think people feel there’s a certain futility in trying to gain consensus in the world, or even within their peer group. "[4], "Neon Buys Hot Sundance Doc 'Spaceship Earth' (EXCLUSIVE)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spaceship_Earth_(film)&oldid=981492677, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 October 2020, at 17:05. Twenty-five years had passed [when I started production]; people are ready to reappraise a story like this. But that became the downfall of the project. "[2] Metacritic assigned the film an average weighted score of 73 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". But he also captures the seriousness of purpose behind what some saw as a giant publicity stunt — and convinces us that this was a one-of-a-kind way to learn some of the things humanity will need to know as this world changes and others are considered for habitation. The experiment was a worldwide phenomenon, chronicling daily existence in the face of life threatening ecological disaster and a growing criticism that it was nothing more than a cult. For me, it’s all about doing my homework. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. In fact, the story of Biosphere 2 is actually a half-century epic involving their journey as a small group trying to literally reimagine the world. Trying to see if it is possible to establish human existence on other planets, eight "biospherians" go to live inside the vivarium, where they face ecological issues and accusations of cult-mentalities. The site's critics consensus reads: "Spaceship Earth achieves liftoff as an engaging behind-the-scenes record of an audacious experiment -- and settles into orbit as poignant proof of the power of a shared dream. Spaceship Earth is the true, stranger-than-fiction, adventure of eight visionaries who in 1991 spent two years quarantined inside of a self-engineered replica of Earth’s ecosystem called BIOSPHERE 2. This was also pre-internet. When we were making the film, we were like, “Is it a problem that there’s not really any problems or conflict for the first hour of the film? Trump was given dexamethasone, a steroid typically used in some severely ill Covid-19 patients. Price: $3.99 rental (50% of proceeds support The Roxie) // $12 for May 10 screening+Q&A (50% of proceeds support The Roxie), Technical Support: Have a question about your rental? I left the filmmaking process with the idea of small groups — that small groups are a model for realizing new ideas and doing ambitious things. Everything just seems to be going their way. Sign up for the When you first started making this film, what did you think the story would be about? Those are all things that are super inspiring. So of course, they had some hesitation and reservations about participating. But if you don’t remember it, and even if you do, the real story as captured in Spaceship Earth is fascinating, both much stranger and oddly more inspirational than the media reports from the time and people’s hazy memories might recall. So, I think a big part of earning people’s trust was doing my homework. newsletter, The Vox guide to navigating the coronavirus crisis. Compelling about this group, though, wasn ’ t deterred by lack of experience to bring you Matt ’. Read this FAQ or contact Neon at [ email protected ] passed [ when started... 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