When another earth appears in the sky, the main concern isn’t about an alien invasion or Armageddon; but how to get there.  Another Earth (starring Brit Marling and William Mapother) looks like science fiction at its best, where the ‘other’ earth creates a context for the stories of the main characters rather than being the focus of the film. Not too science and not too fiction… that’s my kind of Sci-Fi!

I know Marling only from her brief role in the wonderful Community but if this trailer is anything to go by, she’ll be a household name in no time. She’s been causing big buzz since Sundance where Another Earth and The Sound of My Voice premiered; films she both starred in and co-wrote.  But if an unknown actress/writer isn’t enough to get you interested in this film, there’s William Mapother as the leading man! You may know him as ‘Ethan’ from a little TV show called Lost.

Another Earth was filmed in writer/director Mike Cahill‘s hometown, where he used friends and family to cut down on expenses and his childhood home as part of the set. I’m generally fond of the smaller budget films and Another Earth looks all set to be a shiny example of why.  Lovely and thought-provoking, with the philosophy of Journey to the Far Side of the Sun and the sci-fi romantic whimsy of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind! That’s my kind of festival film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqBGh2kMiac

Rhoda Williams, a bright young woman accepted into MIT’s astrophysics program, aspires to explore the cosmos. A brilliant composer, John Burroughs, has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child with his loving wife. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined. Estranged from the world and the selves they once knew, the two outsiders begin an unlikely love affair and reawaken to life. But when one is presented with the chance of a lifetime opportunity to travel to the other Earth and embrace an alternative reality, which new life will they choose?

Directed by Mike Cahill (Boxers and Ballerinas) and written by Brit Marling and Mike Cahill. Starring Brit Marling (Sound of My Voice) and William Mapother (In the Bedroom).

Check out the NZIFF site to see when you can get tickets to Another Earth.

Do you like the idea of Another Earth the film or the idea? Would you go to either?