Out of the Present
| Out of the Present | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Andrei Ujica |
| Produced by | Elke Peters |
| Written by | Andrei Ujica |
| Starring | Sergei Krikalev, Anatoly Artsebarsky, Alexander Volkov |
| Cinematography | Vadim Yusov |
| Edited by | Ralf Henninger, Heidi Leihbecher |
| Distributed by | Real Fiction Filmverleih (Köln) |
Release date | 1995 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Germany |
Out of the Present is a documentary film by Andrei Ujica from 1995 that deals with the prolonged stay of the Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev at space station Mir. This was the first time a 35 mm film camera was used in space.[1]
Synopsis
The film begins with the docking of Soyuz TM-12 at the station. For 92 minutes (the time for one earth-orbit of the station) the routine of a long-term space station crew is shown, frequently interrupted by panoramic earth views in addition to observing the day-to-day activities of eating, exercising and conducting experiments in weightlessness. Krikalev was a bystander to the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt and the collapse of the Soviet Union during his 10-month stay.
The arrival of Soyuz TM-13 is a highlight, while the station was crowded with five cosmonauts for a week. Due to the then-current political situation in Kazakhstan, a Kazhak cosmonaut, Toktar Aubakirov, was selected for this mission. Without long-term training he was unable to relieve Krikalev, who therefore had to stay another six months at the station. Finally, Krikalev is shown back on earth, resting on a couch after more than 300 days in zero gravity.
Production
The filming was handled mainly by the long-term crews of the Mir. It is said that simply transporting the film camera used up roughly half of the film's budget.