Out of the Present


Out of the Present is a documentary film by Andrei Ujica from 1995 that deals with the prolonged stay of the Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev at space station Mir. This was the first time a 35 mm film camera was used in space.

Synopsis

The film begins with the docking of Soyuz TM-12 at the station. For 92 minutes the routine of a long-term space station crew is shown, frequently interrupted by panoramic earth views in addition to observing the day-to-day activities of eating, exercising and conducting experiments in weightlessness. Krikalev was a bystander to the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt and the collapse of the Soviet Union during his 10-month stay.
The arrival of Soyuz TM-13 is a highlight, while the station was crowded with five cosmonauts for a week. Due to the then-current political situation in Kazakhstan, a Kazhak cosmonaut, Toktar Aubakirov, had been selected for this mission. Without long-term training he was unable to relieve Krikalev, who therefore had to stay another six months at the station. Finally, Krikalev is shown back on earth, resting on a couch after more than 300 days in zero gravity.

Production

The filming was handled mainly by the long-term crews of the Mir. It is said that simply transporting the film camera used up roughly half of the film's budget.