The Stardust film was inspired by the death of Dutch graphic designer Arjan Groot, who died aged 39 on 16th July 2011 from cancer. The movie is about Voyager 1 (the unmanned spacecraft launched in 1977 to explore the outer solar system) and envisions the journey of V1 as it moves ever farther from our sun and continues beyond the lifespan of humanity. The story centers on the idea that in the grand scheme of the universe, nothing is ever wasted and it finds comfort in us all essentially being Stardust ourselves.
From a creative standpoint, director Mischa Rozema wanted to explore our preconceived perceptions of how the universe appears which are fed to us by existing imagery from sources such NASA or even sci-fi films. By creating a generated universe, Rozema was able to take his own ‘camera’ to other angles and places within the cosmos.
Objects and experiences we are visually familiar with are looked at from a different point of view. For example, standing on the surface of the sun looking upwards or witnessing the death and birth of a star, not at all scientifically correct but instead a purely artistic interpretation of such events.
Rozema says, ‘I wanted to show the universe as a beautiful but also destructive place. It’s somewhere we all have to find our place within. As a director, making Stardust was a very personal experience but it’s not intended to be a personal film and I would want people to attach their own meanings to the film so that they can also find comfort based on their own histories and lives.’
The movie looks stunning and represents the memories of our loved ones and lives that will never disappear beautifully. I really wish that we had more SF space flicks with imagery just as vivid.
