picture from here.As a developing filmmaker, I do find myself in conversations with other creative minds on the content that is either out there, or presenting itself. One such conversation that I had recently was on this recurrent theme when it comes to aliens in western movies.
Anytime there is a non-human presence, two things seem to be the only option that the writers can fathom: 1)the aliens are weak, broken, fleeing catastrophe and stumble on earth. we initially declare them enemies and then we realise that there is no need to and so we figure out a way to send them on their way before some mad scientist/government group tries to experiment on them. Then we congratulate our humanity for having gotten "rid" of the "foreigners" in a "humane" way. Or
2) They have come to invade and humankind is in a race against time to save itself from the invasion of the heartless, exploitative inhuman invaders.
The two lines of thought do make for interesting projects as seen over the years with the many blockbuster hits that line DVD shelves. For once however, can someone imagine a scenario where the aliens are not even remotely interested in us; that they were "passing by" and then stopped to "find out" what we were. Then, having dsicerned that well, we were just another lifeform entitled to its existence, they went on with their busy day.
The human consciousness tends to imagine that humans are the most important thing there are; assuming that humans were created to dominate all other things out there. It is arrogant to imagine that an entire solar system was created so "we" could explore and colonise for our use and advancement; such is the motivation behind explorations to Mars where scientists argue that it could be an alternate habitat for humans after we screw up the earth.
It will be so interesting to see the ass whooping that will come about when humans land on mars, having assumed that nothing lived there only to find that its inhabitants are possibly not in forms visible to the naked, human eye but more on a subconscious, psycho-spiritual level.
Don't you think that might make an amazing script instead of the "War of The Worlds"/ "V" scenarios?
2 comments:
Strange that a friend nd I had a similar conversation the day before...
wats even funny is that we've made them so hideous nd grotesque that if they turned out t b anythin but, we probably wont notice.
"It will be so interesting to see the ass whooping that will come about when humans land on mars, having assumed that nothing lived there only to find that its inhabitants are possibly not in forms visible to the naked, human eye but more on a subconscious, psycho-spiritual level."
I've had this thought in my head a thousand times.
It is also amazing how we believe that everything, EVERYTHING revolves around us. This isn't ego anymore. Its just our imagined self importance that allows us think that amidst such magnificence, we are the focal point. Lol.
This is by Carl Sagan, a late astrophysicist. Personally, i think he couldn't have said it any better.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena.
On it, Everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of,
Every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.
Thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines,
Every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every hero and coward,
Every creator and destroyer of civilization,
Every saint and sinner in the history of our species,
Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that,
In glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.
Our posturing, our imagined self - importance,
The delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe,
Are challenged by this point of pale light,
And underscores our responsibility to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot.
:)
Long?
I got carried away.
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