Alexander Ugay and Roman Maskalev: Cosmic Uncertainty

Alexander Ugay and Roman Maskalev, DVD stills from Cosmic Uncertainty, 2002.

© Alexander Ugay and Roman Maskalev

Shot in grainy 16mm film with an old Soviet-era camera, Cosmic Uncertainty begins with an infectious and upbeat soundtrack. It seems at first to be a home video from another era, but the savviness of the filmmakers filters through the nostalgic colors.

The film could be almost a remake of George Méliès's Journey to the Moon, only this time referencing an actual space travel event. A group of young people play out the voyage, wearing rubber respirators and plastic suits, and using papier-mâché stars and spacecraft. As the cameraman bounces around haphazardly, we catch glimpses of the filmmaking technicians, but this carefree mood changes gears as the astronaut reaches his destination. The music mellows to a reflective timbre and slow pace as Alexander Ugay's eyelashes bat through cutout holes in his paper face mask of Yuri Gagarin.