Institute History
Description
Ever since the invention of radio and television, humans have been sending signals into outer space, announcing their existence to other civilizations. The Visit documents an event that has never taken place: humans’ first encounter with intelligent life from another world. Through tantalizing interviews with experts from NASA, United Nations, and the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, among many others, acclaimed Danish filmmaker Michael Madsen constructs a chillingly believable scenario of first contact on Earth, beginning with the simplest of questions: Why are you here? How do you think? What do you see in humans that we don’t see in ourselves? The implications unfold within a mind-bending landscape of everyday sights and sounds that Madsen succeeds in turning bizarre and extraordinary, as if seen through the eyes of a life form exploring our planet for the first time. The Visit takes viewers on a journey beyond their terrestrial perspective, revealing the fears, hopes, and rituals of a species forced to confront alien life forms that may or may not view us as a threat. —H.V.