Scene showing earth from space with beams of light rising symbolizing prayers

A pulsating cosmic montage; an alternative view of the seminal Earthrise photograph. We are all astronauts, whether we like it or not. Seeing Spacecraft Earth is the third in a trilogy of films composed from NASA’s publicly available image and sound archives. At once playful and precise, each film applies a structuralist rigor to reanimate the vast archive that frames public conceptions of the universe. The complete trilogy includes: Seeing Spacecraft Earth (2021), Dear Opportunity (2019), The Known Universe (2016)

Short - Combining ethereal music and remarkable photography, this documentary lets viewers experience our world from an astronaut's cosmic view. Stunning footage from NASA missions creates a relaxing tour of the third planet -- from the oceans' splendor to the mountains' grandeur to the teeny, blinking lights of the communities that humans inhabit. Authentic NASA transmissions from space complement the visuals. -

An experimental film.

A mystical experience unfolds as the movements of celestial bodies envelop the landscape and its inhabitants.

The film is created using satellite images of the Earth. Abstract and unconventional visuals combined together give the impression of new worlds, which we can all interpret in our own way; the emergence of life on Earth, the passage of time or the catastrophic development of civilization. The possibilities of these interpretations are endless. It all depends on the imagination and personal impressions of the viewer.

80 minutes of never-before-seen digital video of the Earth shot from the Space Shuttle, provided by NASA, and set to music.

Against a background of chants and prayers, the image of a minaret, emerging from amongst satellite-clad roof terraces, is repeated in a swift staccato montage. Accelerated clouds cross the sky behind it, and gradually envelop and overlap the sacred building.

The birth of the universe as seen from deep space.

The film opens on a set of lights, arranged on a table, that throw colored shapes across the wall of a darkened room. This is followed by a range of subjects, mostly shot with an unmoving camera: hermit crabs on a beach, strips of paper arranged on the bed of a scanning photocopier, bare feet moving among metal rods on roughly poured concrete, the city of Los Angeles at different times of day, someone playfully maneuvering a power washer, a disco ball casting confettilike reflections, bodies touching, a worker at a construction site, and light on the surface of water, abstracted by darkness. [Overview Courtesy of MoMA]