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Deep Dive: Space Tourists (2009)

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Space Tourists
Space Tourists is a documentary directed by Christian Frei that contrasts the experiences of wealthy space tourists with the lives of impoverished Kazakh metal collectors. The film follows Anousheh Ansari, who became the first female space tourist not affiliated with a space agency, paying US$20 million for her trip. It also features Charles Simonyi, a tech entrepreneur, as he undergoes space training and tastes space food, while Dumitru Popescu, CEO of ARCA Space Corporation, is portrayed as an aerospace enthusiast involved in the Google Lunar X-Prize. The documentary captures the stark differences between the affluent tourists and the Kazakh villagers who scavenge for rocket debris. Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen provides insight into the lives of these collectors, emphasizing the risks they take to gather valuable scrap metal. The film is noted for its unique storytelling approach, using minimal direct interviews and instead relying on voiceover narration from key figures like Ansari, Bendiksen, and Popescu, creating an engaging narrative around modern space travel.

Why Watch

  • •Meet Anousheh Ansari, the first female space tourist.
  • •See the lives of Kazakh villagers collecting rocket debris.
  • •Find out about the Google Lunar X-Prize and Dumitru Popescu.

Did You Know

•Anousheh Ansari paid US$20 million for her space flight.
•The film premiered at the Zurich Film Festival in 2009.
•Christian Frei won the World Cinema Directing Award at Sundance in 2010.
•Kazakh metal collectors search for rocket waste that falls from the sky.

Perfect For

Space tourismKazakhstan cultureAerospace enthusiasts