Spend life in prison or risk death in space? In the film High Life (2018), director Claire Denis confronts us with the ethical dilemmas of pushing the limits of science in a story that takes you beyond the boundaries of our planet.

In this spaceship drama, starring Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche, a group of criminals serving death sentences is sent to space on a mission to extract energy from a black hole. We follow the main character Monte and his daughter Willow while he relives his journey on the space ship, showing you the fate that befell his fellow crew members. Their story exposes the challenges that lie ahead for the future of space travel and the sacrifices that are made to explore our universe.

Are you into space travel or curious about what the exploration of space will bring our generation? Does the size of outer space blow you away or do you dream about ever being ‘out there’? Come and join us!

Q&A with expert guests

After the film screening, we will interview two experts on space travel and give you the opportunity toyou’re your most burning questions. Dimitra Stefoudi works at the International Institute of Air and Space Law at Leiden University and knows all about the complexities of regulating space-related activities. How do you decide which country’s laws apply when you’re on the moon? George van Hal is a scientific journalist who has written multiple books about the mysteries and miracles of outer space. He can tell us how technologies from sci-fi such as Star Wars and Star Trek are now becoming reality!

Film and the Future is a coproduction by Podium and Hoogt on Tour. In this series, we take a closer look at the world of space travel. We explore the possible consequences of venturing beyond our earth, but we also speculate about what might happen if extraterrestrial life invades our planet. After the screening, we interview expert guests and open up the conversation about the film we just watched. What does space travel bring our society, and what can we expect to find in the big black mass we call space?

The primary language at this event will be English. The film theatre of the library at Neude is wheelchair accessible, and an elevator and wheelchair-accessible toilet are present. In the film theatre, however, space for wheelchairs is limited and only available quite close to the screen. If you would like to attend this event, we would love to think along with you about any additional possibilities. If you have the possibility to take place in a regular chair from your mobility assistance device, we would be happy to assist you. If you have any other worries or needs that might prevent you from participating in this activity, please let us know by sending a message to podium@hu.nl and we will try to accommodate as best as we can.