Note: At the filmmakers’ request, this film is geo-blocked to viewing from Vermont only.
*** Ticket to the film includes an exclusive Q&A with co-director Katherine Gorringe conducted by Alex Lavin, VTIFF programmer.
In preparation for the first human mission to Mars, six volunteers take part in the ultimate dress rehearsal, living inside a year-long NASA simulation to understand the effects of isolation on the human mind. A shockingly prescient film for the current moment, Red Heaven is a testament to the human ability to endure in body and spirit, despite isolation and uncertainty.
Humans to Mars. That’s our next great leap. But even if we can figure out how to survive on Mars, NASA needs to know if we can withstand the psychological challenges. Filmed by the crew themselves while sealed in a 1000-square foot dome on the red, rocky slope of a Hawaiian volcano, Red Heaven captures the mounting tension, blossoming romance, and intense feeling of distance from the rest of the world six strangers must face in the name of future space exploration. Red Heaven asks, what do humans truly need to be healthy, happy, and sane?
About the filmmakers:
Director/Producer/Editor: Katherine Gorringe
Katherine Gorringe is a documentary director and editor whose work has been featured at numerous festivals worldwide including SXSW, CPH:DOX and Hot Docs. Her recent editing work includes the Emmy-nominated Netflix Original Saving Capitalism , which follows former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Red Heaven is her feature documentary directorial debut.
Director/Producer: Lauren DeFilippo
Red Heaven marks Lauren DeFilippo’s feature-length directorial debut. She is currently in production on two upcoming feature documentaries: Free Money (director/producer), about the world’s largest universal basic income experiment, and Ailey (producer) about visionary dance choreographer, Alvin Ailey.
VTIFF’s Virtual Cinema in 2021 is Sponsored by
A Single Pebble
