The Farthest
The Farthest is an Irish documentary film that chronicles the history of the Voyager program and its two space probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched in 1977. In 2013, Voyager 1 became the first human-made object to leave the Solar System, reaching the interstellar space.[2] This fact makes the program one of the humankind's greatest achievements.[3] The story is presented through the testimonies of the NASA team involved. The film premiered on February 26, 2017 at the Dublin Film Festival where it won the Audience Award.[4]
The Farthest | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Emer Reynolds |
Produced by |
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Written by | Emer Reynolds |
Music by | Ray Harman |
Cinematography | Kate McCullough |
Edited by | Tony Cranstoun |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Abramorama |
Release date |
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Running time | 121 minutes |
Country | Ireland |
Language | English |
Box office | $6,900[1] |
Cast
The cast includes more than 20 of the original and current mission scientists, engineers, team members, and NASA employees;[5] among whom are Frank Drake, Carolyn Porco, Lawrence Krauss, Timothy Ferris, Edward C. Stone, Nick Sagan, Larry Soderblom, Fran Bagenal, and Jon Lomberg.
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 100% approval rating based on 27 critical reviews, with the consensus stating, "Informative, enthusiastic and accessible, The Farthest will inspire even the most grounded of viewers to look up in wonder once in a while."[6]
The Irish Times 's Donald Clarke awarded the film four stars out of five, calling The Farthest, "A wonderful film that will inform generations to come."[7] Leslie Felperin of The Guardian also gave the film four stars out of five, stating, "his exquisite, exemplary science documentary, directed by Irish editor turned helmer Emer Reynolds, recounts the rich and fascinating story of the Voyager mission, arguably Nasa’s finest, noblest contribution to scientific understanding."[8] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter commented, "The Farthest ultimately proves a welcome and invaluable reminder, in these budget-challenged times, that space exploration is of boundless importance."[9] Nick Schager of Variety added, "It’s rare for a film to make one swell with pride about something he or she had no direct hand in, but “The Farthest” accomplishes that feat with aplomb."[10] Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times observed, "Reynolds takes a thorough and direct approach to the Voyager story, weaving together insightful and unexpectedly poetic interviews with several of the people who worked on the project, illustrated with a mix of archival footage and artfully shot re-creations."[11]
References
- "The Farthest". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- "The Farthest - how we made the epic Irish space movie". RTÉ.ie. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- "The Farthest (2017)". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- Halligan, Fionnuala (27 February 2017). "'The Farthest': Dublin Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- Moraes, Lisa de (15 January 2017). "PBS 'The Farthest' Spotlights NASA's Voyager Mission On 40th Anniversary – TCA". Deadline.com. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- "The Farthest (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- Clarke, Donald (26 July 2017). "The Farthest: An epic, moving Irish space movie". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- Felperin, Leslie (1 September 2017). "The Farthest review – Nasa documentary voyages to the outer limits". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- Scheck, Frank (9 August 2017). "'The Farthest': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- Schager, Nick (11 August 2017). "Film Review: 'The Farthest'". Variety. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- Murray, Noel (10 August 2017). "Review: 'The Farthest' pays homage to Voyager, and human potential". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 August 2020.