TO THE MOON AND BACK
2026 / English, Moroccan, Cebuano, Spanish, French / 84 min / Documentary
Film Festival Selections:
World Premiere: Visions du Réel 2026
DIRECTOR - Elisa Gómez Alvarez
The personal trajectories of Ilyasse and Pauline, two young scientists from Morocco and the Philippines, are shaped by the pursuit of the same dream: to become astronauts.
But the space industry, in which Pauline and Ilyasse are working with passion and determination to find their place, remains a fiercely competitive world that offers little career hope to Gen Z from the Global South. Their ideals of inclusion and sustainability clash with the old hierarchies of gender, citizenship, and social class, hierarchies whose consequences are further exacerbated by the uncertain future on Earth.
Oscillating between reality and dream, between their steps as young humans and unusual simulations of lunar missions, To the Moon and Back explores the notion of belonging. Is space exploration a path to the future or an escape route for our humanity?