In Johnny Hardstaff's short film "Transmission," a group of astronauts training to visit a distant planet are interviewed. Filmed as a viral promotion for Ridley Scott's recent film "Prometheus," "Transmission" acts as an introduction to the characters of Scott's universe, rich in both story and visual detail. Made as a recorded message to be transmitted into outer space, the film is interspersed with images of Baroque furniture, Japanese glass chairs, Constable paintings and other culturally diverse earthly artifacts.
During one interview, an astronaut confesses his hope for the mission to "crush all man-made religion ... ," a comment swiftly followed by mountainous aerial photography set to classical music.
While Hardstaff's hopes are somewhat oblique, what is clear is a desire to discover a new world amid a struggle between natural and manmade technology, a wish that also resides at the heart of the very earthbound yet equally dramatic exhibition by photographer Taiji Matsue, currently showing at Izu Photo Museum.