The Visit

A hypothetical visitor arrives from Outer Space. The authorities are immediately alerted – the military, defense and communication advisors, and The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. How to deal with this unprecedented event?

How to reassure Earth’s inhabitants, who are prone to panic, when you have no previous experience to draw upon? The special task groups are starting to get in contact with the alien and to observe it – while it observes us. But it is not easy to find answers when dealing with the truly unknown.  The only thing that is certain is that the encounter with Alien intelligent life will challenge everything we hold true about ourselves. Perhaps Man does not know himself so well? 

The Visit was directed by Michael Madsen and, since it is a documentary on something that hasn’t (yet) happened, it tells us something about the understanding of "reality". In Madsen’s own words:

"I have a special interest in existential and philosophical issues. The Visitis to be a feature length international documentary, which on a concrete and scientific level explores the scenario of a Alien visit to Earth. In case of such a visit we would at the very least be confronted with fundamental, unexplored, and perhaps even unthinkable questions about ourselves, and our place in the universe. My focus is the exploration of our likely reactions and precautions, as well as the consequences and implications of such an Alien encounter. Whereas, I have no interest in UFO’s and the like, nor in sensationalistic speculations, I believe that the backdrop of an imagined actual visit could lead to very interesting philosophical reflections."

Michael Madsen's previous film, Into Eternity, was shown at Doc Lounge in 2010. He's won and been nominated to several awards for his films, including Politiken's Audience Award at CPH:DOX in 2009. The Visit was nominated for the Grand Jury Price in for World Cinema at Sundance Film Festival 2015.