Tonight’s report is not a journalist’s report, it is a filmmaker’s report, my personal report.
When you make a film in which you put your heart, it becomes more than a film to you, it becomes your mirror. This collective portrait of five men loving space became a portrait of myself. This is why it is so painful to imagine our paths separate in several hours. I know how those men breathe – I’ve put mics on them for the EVAs. I know what kind of food they enjoy – I filmed many cooking sessions. I learned every little trait on their faces – I did a lot of close-ups. I recognize the sparkles in their eyes when they talk about Mars. Their stories are forever with me. One of this man said in his interview to me that the greatest thing about space exploration is that it unites nations and people. Thank you MDRS for giving us the opportunity to meet each other. And I hope my film will be up to the mark of these wonderful people I had a privilege to share this experience with.
A good-bye anonymous post-scriptum:
How to say the time has come
The sun has passed the river run
We’ve loved our life in this small Hab
The thought of leaving is quite sad
Though yet these memories shall remain
Like martian red, our minds it stains
All strangers once but now a crew
Onward to Mars, and homebond too