SPACESHIP EARTH | Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Phillipe Plailly Science Photo Library
Matt Wolf reveals the strange but true story of the ill-fated Biosphere 2 project.
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
Sundance Program Description:
In 1991, eight capable men and women were sealed into Biosphere 2, an airtight terrarium in the Arizona desert containing a miniature replica of Earth’s environment. Funded by a Texas oil tycoon hoping to acquire licensable technologies for space colonization, the mission of Biosphere 2 was to maintain an isolated, sustainable environment for two years. It was a mission that became a dystopian simulation of ecological crisis, after which a corporate consultant took over the venture – and disappeared the data.
The investors designed Biosphere 2 to generate a lot of press, but little was revealed about the people who created it. Using archive material and present-day interviews with surviving Biospherians, director Matt Wolf brings us this spirited documentary that follows the gregarious and visionary countercultural collective over half of a century, as they conducted experiments around the globe leading up to Biosphere 2. If SPACESHIP EARTH is a cautionary tale about the forces that threaten our planet, it is also an inspirational tribute to what a small creative group can achieve.
Some Background:
Director/Producer:
Past Sundance docs:
BAYARD & ME (2017, short)
IT’S ME, HILARY: THE MAN WHO DREW ELOISE (2015, short)
This is Wolf’s fourth feature doc, following WILD COMBINATION: A PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR RUSSELL, TEENAGE, and last year’s RECORDER: THE MARION STOKES PROJECT.
Producer:
Past Sundance docs:
SUITED (2016)
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (2016)
IT’S ME, HILARY: THE MAN WHO DREW ELOISE
I KNEW IT WAS YOU: REDISCOVERING JOHN CAZALE (2009)
The Emmy-winning Reiss produces both fiction and nonfiction films. She previously was a producer for DATELINE NBC for over a decade.
Co-Producer:
Berman previously served as production manager for RadicalMedia’s Sundance doc alumni project WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V JAMES J BULGER (2014). This is her first Sundance producer credit.
Executive Producers:
Recent past Sundance docs:
TIGERLAND (2019)
ABSTRACT: THE ART OF DESIGN (2017)
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? (2015)
WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V JAMES J BULGER
SOUND AND VISION (2014, VR)
Kamen is the Emmy-nominated chairman and CEO of RadicalMedia. He also executive produced fellow 2020 Sundance doc WE ARE FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME, in Special Events.
Past Sundance docs:
TIGERLAND
Sirulnick was a longtime executive at MTV before becoming a partner at RadicalMedia.
Past Sundance docs:
KUSAMA – INFINITY (2018)
WATCHERS OF THE SKY (2014)
MARINA ABRAMOVIC: THE ARTIST IS PRESENT (2012)
BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD (2011)
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: THE RADIANT CHILD (2010)
Dakota Group founder Buchtal was also an executive producer of Sundance narrative feature alum SPANKING THE MONKEY (1994).
Past Sundance docs:
- Dan Cogan
Recent past Sundance docs:
SHOOTING THE MAFIA (2019)
BISBEE ’17 (2018)
OF FATHERS AND SONS (2018)
OUR NEW PRESIDENT (2018)
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR (2018)
BENDING THE ARC (2017)
DINA (2017)
ICARUS (2017)
STEP (2017)
TROPHY (2017)
UNREST (2017)Cogan, the Oscar-winning co-founder and chairman of Impact Partners, has recently launched Story Syndicate, his own production company in partnership with acclaimed filmmaker Liz Garbus. He also serves as executive producer for fellow 2020 Sundance titles US KIDS, in the US Documentary Competition; EPICENTRO, in the World Cinema Documentary Competition; and ASSASSINS, ON THE RECORD, and GIVING VOICE, all in Documentary Premieres.
- Jenny Raskin
Recent past Sundance docs:
SHOOTING THE MAFIA
BISBEE ’17
OF FATHERS AND SONS
OUR NEW PRESIDENT
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR
BENDING THE ARC
DINA
ICARUS
STEP
UNRESTRaskin is the executive director of Impact Partners. She also serves as executive producer for US KIDS and GIVING VOICE, and as co-executive producer for EPICENTRO.
- Geralyn White Dreyfous
Recent past Sundance docs:
ALWAYS IN SEASON (2019)
THE GREAT HACK (2019)
SHOOTING THE MAFIA
306 HOLLYWOOD (2018)
GENERATION WEALTH (2018)
BISBEE ’17
OF FATHERS AND SONS
OUR NEW PRESIDENT
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR
BENDING THE ARC
STEPThe Oscar and Emmy-winning co-founder of both Impact Partners and Gamechanger Films also has produced several Sundance fiction and VR alumni projects and has served as a creative advisor for Sundance’s Catalyst Forum. For the 2020 festival, she also serves as executive producer for US KIDS, ASSASSINS, ON THE RECORD, and GIVING VOICE; THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS, in the World Cinema Documentary Competition; AGGIE, in Documentary Premieres; BORN INTO BROTHELS, in From the Collection; and is executive producer/key collaborator for the New Frontier exhibition PERSUASION MACHINES.
- Paula Froehle
Past Sundance docs:
THE INFILTRATORS (2019)
306 HOLLYWOOD
TROPHYFroehle is co-founder and CEO of Chicago Media Project, which facilitates philanthropic support of social impact documentaries. She also executive produced fellow 2020 US Documentary Competition title FEELS GOOD MAN, and co-executive produced Sundance fiction feature alumni LAND HO!.
- Steve Cohen
Past Sundance docs:
THE INFILTRATORS
306 HOLLYWOOD
TROPHY
INEQUALITY FOR ALL (2013)
HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE (2012)
HELL AND BACK AGAIN (2011)Cohen is an attorney and co-founder/board chair of Chicago Media Project. He has helped finance numerous documentary projects as a member of Impact Partners. Cohen is also an executive producer for this year’s FEELS GOOD MAN.
- Pierre Hauser
Past Sundance docs:
THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES (2012)
HELL AND BACK AGAINHauser is an author, book editor, and philanthropist. Together with his wife, notable documentary filmmaker Abigail Disney, he founded the Daphne Foundation, a private family foundation working to address poverty.
- Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman
Past Sundance docs:
ALWAYS IN SEASON
RAISE HELL: THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS (2019)
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
INVENTING TOMORROW (2018)
CHASING CORAL (2017)
UNRESTMcEvoy is the chairman and CEO of publishing giant the McEvoy Group, while his partner Berriman is executive editor at textbook publisher Pearson Education. Their philanthropic work focuses on art, film, photography, and music, including the Smithsonian, SFMoMA, and SFJAZZ. They are also executive producers on fellow 2020 Sundance titles FEELS GOOD MAN and THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS.
- Lessing Stern
Park City-based philanthropist Stern is the founder and CEO of private investment firm Ten Eighty. This is his first producing credit.
- Andrea van Beuren
Past Sundance docs:
WHERE’S MY ROY COHN? (2019)
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
THE DEVIL WE KNOW (2018)
INVENTING TOMORROW
CHASING CORAL
ALIVE INSIDE (2014)van Beuren is the founder and artistic director of newportFILM.
- Jenny Raskin
Editor:
Recent past Sundance docs:
KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE (2019, consulting editor)
AMERICAN FACTORY (2019, consulting editor)
LIFE, ANIMATED (2016)
CAMERAPERSON (2016, consulting editor)
E-TEAM (2014)
CUTIE AND THE BOXER (2013)
Associate Editor:
This marks McDonald’s first Sundance credit.
Story Producers:
Becker has previously produced or served as archival producer for docuseries.
Salsich’s background is also in archival production, a role she served for Sundance doc alumni LONG STRANGE TRIP.
Why You Should Watch:
As in his past work, Wolf demonstrates thoughtful and engaging storytelling, heightened here by an adept usage of period footage, particularly material shot by the Biospherians themselves, allowing the audience to explore the mysterious environment up close. Weaving together still-urgent environmental themes with outsized personalities, the impact of media coverage, and a cameo by an unexpected figure, the film is entertaining, surprising, and thought provoking.
More Info:
Sundance’s Meet the Artist Profile
For Sundance screening dates and times, click the film title in the first paragraph.
