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Postcard from Earth is a 2023 film directed by Darren Aronofsky, starring Brandon Santana and Zaya Ribeiro. Created specifically to be screened at Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley on the venue's 160,000 square-foot video screen, the film was shot in an 18K resolution with the Big Sky camera system. The 4D film features 270 degrees of viewing experience, climate control, haptic capabilities for the venue's seating, and scents to create an immersive environment that tells the story of life on Earth. The film is one of two entertainment features to inaugurate the Sphere, along with U2's concert residency. Postcard from Earth has received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

On a distant planet, astronauts Byron (played by Brandon Santana) and Fang (played by Zaya Ribeiro) land in a state of stasis. Technology on their ship brings them back to consciousness, and pre-recorded voice over messages from each other start to explain that they have been sent here from Earth and will require some time to get their bearings. A virtual reality presentation starts up, that explains the history of life on Earth, from the earliest single-cell organisms evolving up to humankind and the environmental devastation of the anthropocene. Due to ecological collapse, humans have had to take to the stars, making only occasional visits back to their home planet. Byron and Fang have been chosen to bring life to a new world in the hopes that they will take greater care of this ecosystem. After the presentation is done, the two take their first steps onto the surface of the new world, and technology from their ship covers it with greenery.

Development and release

"I do think there is an illness in Hollywood of dystopian film. Stories that are helpless and hopeless and dark. It's important as a storyteller to start telling stories about protopia... a perfect future, or a future not based in any truths or reality... stories that show a great future for humanity and for the planet and for our home."

Aronofsky was approached to make the film by Jane Rosenthal of Tribeca Enterprises while Sphere was in the process of being built. Postcard from Earth is the first film to run at Sphere and take advantage of the venue's unique screen display, as well as the audio, climate control, and haptic features. Shooting took place across all continents and required a bespoke 18K resolution camera running at 60 frames per second and 30 GBytes/second. Aronofsky and his filmmaking partner Ari Handel worked with the initial prototype camera array which was used for one shot in the film.

Reception

In the Las Vegas Review-Journal, John Katsilometes called Postcard from Earth a "movie about Earth might be more convincing than the source material" and encouraged attendees to also engage with the Atrium show in the venue that makes for a "unique, next-level and worth the trip around the globe". Josh Bell of New Scientist praised the film's technical achievements but called the story "cheesy and simplistic" that is "a flimsy conceit that serves as an excuse for Aronofsky to deliver what audiences are really there for – to be immersed in the 18K-resolution (a display resolution using about 18,000 pixels horizontally) images shot on every continent, from canyons to oceans, crowded streets to quiet cathedrals". The Wall Street Journal's Kyle Smith called the story a "trite setup is merely the frame upon which the director stretches his massive tableaux" that praised the viewing experience in spite of the "hokey" storytelling. At TheWrap, Peter Csathy called this film "a triumph in all respects".

Accolades

Postcard from Earth won in the category of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards.

References

1. Gray, Mark (October 7, 2023). "'Postcard From Earth': Darren Aronofsky's 18K Film Rocks The Sphere". TV & Movies > TV & Movie Features. Rolling Stone. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
2. ^ Csathy, Peter (October 10, 2023). "Darren Aronofsky's Sphere Film Postcard From Earth Is a Marvel". TheWrap. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
3. ^ Willman, Chris (October 7, 2023). "Darren Aronofsky on His Sphere Film, 'Postcard From Earth': 'I Had No Idea What an 18K Image Would Look Like, Four Football Fields Large'". Film > News. Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 810134503. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
4. Giardina, Carolyn (April 11, 2023). "New Content Unwrapped for MSG Sphere in Las Vegas". Business > Business News. The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
5. Bentz, Adam (October 20, 2023). "An 18K Camera That Takes 12 People To Turn On: Darren Aronofsky's New Movie Used Truly Never-Before-Seen Tech". Screen Rant. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
6. Kranse, Jordan (November 9, 2023). "Inside the Tech Creating the Las Vegas Sphere's Groundbreaking Visuals". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 1042-9840. OCLC 781541372. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
7. Katsilometes, John. "Sphere's 'Postcard' is about Earth, and out of this world". Entertainment >> Entertainment Columns >> Kats. Las Vegas Review-Journal. ISSN 1097-1645.
8. Bell, Josh. "Postcard from Earth review: Amazing visuals can't lift Aronofsky movie". Comment. New Scientist. ISSN 0262-4079.
9. Smith, Kyle (October 23, 2023). "The Sphere: Sin City Outdoes Itself—Again". Opinion. The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 1042-9840. OCLC 781541372. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
10. Giardina, Carolyn (January 16, 2024). "'The Creator' Leads Visual Effects Society Feature Competition With 7 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Postcard from Earth at AllMovie
• Postcard from Earth at IMDb 
• ‘Spellbinding’: Does Vegas’ Sphere live up to the hype? in the Sydney Morning Herald

• 2023 films
• 2023 science fiction films
• 4D films
• Films directed by Darren Aronofsky
• Films with screenplays by Darren Aronofsky
• Special-venue films