TRAILERS

New Trailer for Psychological Doc Film 'Space: The Longest Goodbye'

by Alex Billington
April 4, 2023
Source: YouTube

"The deprivation of the social contact is a big one… We need some new ideas." Madman Films in Australia has revealed an official trailer for an acclaimed documentary film titled Space: The Longest Goodbye, a fascinating look at the psychology of space travel. The film played at both Sundance and CPH:DOX this year already. Here's the intro: "Scientists predict that we will be able to send humans to Mars in the next decade. But before NASA can send astronauts to the Red Planet, they must first find out how the space travellers will react to the loneliness and isolation of a spaceship. A senior NASA psychologist examines the effects of prolonged separation. We follow his work preparing the astronauts for their long mission as he equips them with tools for the emotional challenges ahead. The Longest Goodbye is a heart-warming tale of the paradox between our need for intimacy and our urge to explore the most distant and unknown." I've seen this and it's really good! A bit frightening (being alone can be scary, so can long space missions) yet also captivating.

Here's the first Australian trailer for Ido Mizrahy's doc Space: The Longest Goodbye, from YouTube:

In the next decade, NASA intends to send astronauts to Mars for the first time. To succeed, crew members will have to overcome unprecedented life-threatening challenges. And while many of these hazards are physical, the most elusive are psychological. Throughout their three-year absence, crew members won’t be able to communicate with Earth in real time due to the immense distance. The psychological impact of this level of disconnectedness and isolation—both from mission control and loved ones—is impossible to predict and endangers the mission itself. Directed to mitigate this threat is Dr. Al Holland, a NASA psychologist whose job is to keep astronauts mentally stable in space. Director Ido Mizrahy's The Longest Goodbye documentary film follows Holland, rookie astronauts Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer, and former astronaut Cady Coleman, among others, as they grapple with the tension between their dream of reaching new frontiers and their basic human need to stay connected to home. This conflict transcends space travel: how do we balance our burning quest for progress with the deep connection to our history & each other?

Space: The Longest Goodbye, also known as simply The Longest Goodbye, is directed by Israeli filmmaker Ido Mizrahy, director of the films Things That Hang from Trees, Patrolman P, and Gored previously. The film is an Israeli-Canadian production. Produced by Paul Cadieux, Ido Mizrahy, and Nir Sa'ar. This initially premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and also just played at CPH:DOX. Madman Films will release the doc soon in Australia. No official US release is set yet - stay tuned for more. Curious?

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