I Am in Space

Life in a space station consists of 16 dawns and 16 dusks a day. Dana Ranga reconstructs life in space using private footage by French astronaut Jean-François Clervoy and interviews collected over many years with astronauts and their psychologists. In a fluid experience (it is weightless, after all), Ranga allows us to experience just how exhausting a space mission is. The strains on the psyche are even more strenuous than the physical challenges involved. The constant struggle against depression and the endless patience demanded by life in a space station are otherworldly to say the least. Being a man removed from humanity, subject to complete destruction at any moment by a relatively small meteorite, it must be seen as a service to mankind. There is nothing but functionality in the space station: handles, monitors, a scientific experiment behind every hatch, lighting reminiscent of an operating room. It is therefore striking that in this totally functional environment, improvisation is crucial - because nothing goes according to plan. An astronaut has to be a do-it-yourself genius. This capacity for improvisation is reflected by Clervoy's clever camerawork. Ranga also gives a prominent role to sound. When the endless hum of equipment is replaced by the sound of rain, this is both a relief and a shock. Like the astronauts, we have become accustomed to the hysterical humming because machines are the only things that preserve life.