THE SETUP
For decades, scientists have been observing the universe looking for signs of intelligent life, hoping that one day we’ll hear or see something that tells us we aren’t alone.
But what if listening isn’t enough?
What would it mean for us to make our presence known? To send messages out into the cosmos - continuously transmitting in a way that might actually reach another civilization.
What would we say in this message? How would we say it? What would we need to do to send it? And once we came to an agreement on all those factors – should we even be announcing our existence in the first place?
“If we only live a life of guarantees, it’s a very small life.”
THE STORY
Enter Douglas Vakoch. Dubbed “The Man Who Speaks for Earth” by The New Yorker, Doug is the world’s leading expert on interstellar communication – he’s the guy leading the charge on how we might talk to aliens.
This Feature Documentary has exclusive access to Dr. Vakoch as he travels the globe researching, constructing, and ultimately attempting a historic transmission into the cosmos.
The mission itself is lofty for many reasons. You need to figure out what stars to point at; You need to create a language from scratch that can travel for hundreds of years; You have to figure out what to say; and you need to find a facility that is even capable of sending the message.
As we watch Doug find unique solutions to these huge challenges, it becomes apparent that some of his ideas are controversial…
Even if we can do this, should we?
As Doug gets closer to realizing his lifelong dream of sending messages to the stars, he’s met with naysayers who think he’s acting on all of humanity’s behalf. Who is Doug - or any single person for that matter - to decide what message is sent? And if we should even send it at all for fear of attracting some kind of super-predator.
But for Doug, METI signifies progress, confronting the unknown, and possibly making the biggest discovery imaginable: that we’re not alone.
This is where the essential, human questions get asked. Do we listen to fear as a survival instinct? Or do we explore boldly knowing there could be risks?
Douglas Vakoch is a lifelong learner, researcher, and scientist who is driven by hard problems. He accepts that acting boldly often leads to failure, and is willing to put his beliefs on the line to accept truths as they are revealed.
He grew up as a child with hemophilia, burying his head in books because his parents were too afraid to let him play outside. Growing up on a rural farm, if he were to get hurt, he’d bleed out before ever reaching a hospital.
Always looking to the stars, Doug found his way to working for the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligent (SETI) for 16 years. But after disagreements with the organization on whether or not they should begin transmitting, Doug left SETI to start METI International.
Some SETI scientists still believe the acts of METI are dangerous, citing Stephen Hawking as someone against the idea. Doug continues to face pushback as he works towards his historic message transmission, hoping to sway the naysayers.
OUR ARTISTIC APPROACH
SPEAKING FOR EARTH is primarily a character-driven documentary, with as many verite scenes as possible to keep the film feeling urgent and of-the-moment. Doug’s mission and growth are the root of the film. However, while much of the story is excitedly unfolding in front of us in real time, there are many scientific concepts that will need to be explained and explored.
This is where the opportunity for other high profile voices in science come into play. At various points in the film, a panel of scientists and journalists will provide the voice of the larger community, helping ground the audience.
We already have voices like host of Radiolab, Latif Nasser, and Science journalist, Cleo Abram. They will be joined by other prominent voices to give additional weight to the context Doug’s journey.
It’s part character piece, part science documentary, part political thriller; all coming together to create a story that brings the audience on a wild ride while simultaneously making us think about larger than life topics.
AUDIENCE
We have a unique opportunity to bring in a wide variety of audience types with this documentary. This film will make an audience put individuality in the backseat and consider humanity as a whole. To look into the night sky and question how our species might look to a cosmic neighbor. It’s a film about uniting us under a big umbrella, and approaching hard problems with optimism.
Yes, this is a “smart” documentary, but it doesn’t feel like a chore to watch. Above everything, it’s fun, interesting and engaging. There are big ideas to consider, but it isn’t political, conspiratorial, or heavy.
There are so many reasons people will want to watch this documentary; it pulls on a different thread for everyone, and will spark fascinating conversations all over the world.