Swedish writer Harry Martinson made the cosmos poetic with his piece “Aniara.” Aniara, meaning sad or depressing, encompassed the existential turn of the unknown space and humanity’s wavering place in it as the earth begins to crumble. Martinson’s poem is deep and reflexive and makes for an eerie adaptation to film.
The work of Martinson provides the narrative for the film, which premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. “Aniara” marks the feature-length debut for director Pella Kågerman who has previously worked directing short films. The film is the recipient of four Les Arcs European Film Festival awards. Magnolia Pictures is set to distribute the film to American audiences this summer.
“Aniara” offers a bleak look at humanity in the face of uncertainty. When the ship is taken off course and can no longer be steered back to its path, the residents begin deluding into madness, fear, and denial. With the trailer beginning with a seemingly hopeful repose, a complete 180 is made by the end with the inhabitants of the vessel falling into disarray just as the interior of the ship does. It’s a startling meditation on the words of Martinson showcasing a startling existential understanding of the universe as our planet dies.
“Aniara” hits theaters on May 17.
Here is the summary and official trailer:
A ship carrying settlers to Mars is knocked off course, causing the consumption-obsessed passengers to consider their place in the universe, in Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja’s eerie and caustic sci-fi adaptation of a work by Swedish Nobel Prize–winning writer Harry Martinson.