The Visit

What if extraterrestrials actually landed on Earth? Michael Madsen’s THE VISIT depicts how various international agencies – the United Nations, the Committee on Space Research, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, NASA, and others – would respond to the presence of an alien life-form in this captivating and unnerving speculative documentary. Faced with the unknown, scientists, ambassadors, government officials, and theologians ask a number of questions about the origins of the alien species, the evolution of its civilization, and the nature of its mission. While aware of the potential for a media blitz, they prepare statements to inform the public without inciting panic. They also consider what questions aliens might ask of humans, and how humanity’s accomplishments and failures might be assessed by outside observers. Madsen pairs stark imagery of landscapes, cityscapes, and laboratories with a haunting soundtrack to evoke the transformative impact of an alien encounter upon the notion of life itself. Are you ready? – E.B.