DEEP SKY (2023) review

written by: Nathaniel Kahn
produced by: Nathaniel Kahn and Bonnie Hlinomaz
directed by: Nathaniel Kahn
rated: not rated
runtime: 40 min.
U.S. release date: October 20, 2023 & April 19, 2024

“Deep Sky” is a documentary short made for people like me. I’m interested in space and in awe of NASA geek brains, but it’s all quite confounding for my limited bandwidth. When it comes to what’s going on in outer space, millions of miles and thousands of years away, I rely on documentaries to enlighten my perception of space and beyond. That’s not to say that Nathaniel Kahn hasn’t made a documentary for viewers well-versed in the origin and activity of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, they’ll also appreciate this. Shot for IMAX screens, “Deep Sky” is indeed for everyone. However, one would benefit from knowing very little about this enormous telescope, and you, this short itself, would benefit from something that eludes all of us: time.

Kahn is a filmmaker who has received Oscar-nominated for a couple of his previous feature-length documentaries, “My Architect” (2003) and “Two Hands” (2006), which focused on his father, architect Louis Kahn, and late pianist Leon Fleisher, respectively. In 2021, “The Hunt for Planet B” was released, a feature-length documentary in which Kahn takes us behind the scenes of the making of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The “Planet B” of the title represented the search for another Earth – a good idea considering how well we’re taking care of our planet. Hopefully, That documentary left viewers with a new appreciation for the 3rd Rock from the Sun and a newfound motivation to be better stewards.

Although “The Hunt for Planet B” featured JWST, it was more about the search for another habitable planet, whereas “Deep Sky” takes a sharper focus on the giant $10 billion dollar telescope, specifically those at NASA involved in making it and the purpose of it. Since the astounding images of stars, nebulas, galaxies, and planets are most effective on a massive screen, it helps that the short is presented in IMAX. Revisiting this man-made wonder in IMAX is probably the main reason Kahn has returned to JWST.

“Deep Sky” opens in space, with a stunning look at JWST floating in space to the pastoral score courtesy of composer Paul Leonard-Morgan. Then, we hear our tour guide, Michelle Williams. The Oscar-winner provides a soothing voice in a calm conversational mode as she starts catching us up on JWST. We learn that it is one of the great construction projects of our era, “It took 10,000 people from 14 different countries working for more than two decades.”

JWST has its place in space at a gravitationally balanced spot called Lagrange Point 2 (L2), situated just between the Earth and the Sun. L2 is one of five Sun-Earth Lagrange points, positions in space where the gravitational pull of the Sun and Earth combine such that small objects in that region have the same orbital period (length of year) as Earth. This makes it possible for JWST (which has a sunshield that stretches out to the size of a tennis court) to remain in constant communication with Earth. What’s most fascinating about the opening scene is that the Earth and Sun are unseen, just the blackness of space with this object designed to look as far out as it can.

In “Deep Sky”, we learn how we can see what JWST sees since our human eyes have always been limited. Housed within the telescope is a package of high-tech infrared equipment (called a Near-Infrared Camera or NIRCam) that enables us to see such miraculous images as cloaked star births, gravitational warps, protostars, and the like. Apart from the NIRCam, the telescope also uses Gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet rays, not to mention microwave and radio waves – basically, everything was included and considered.

The scientists Kahn includes here are brimming with enthusiasm. While their intellect and knowledge are obvious, what becomes contagious is that they can become as giddy and emotionally worked up as we would be for anything we’re passionate about. Seeing these breathtaking images from deep space is impressive, but seeing the responses from the scientists (who worked so hard and long on JWST) when they see these images for the first time is unexpectedly moving.

Such enthusiasm is apparent when the camera is on those scientists directly involved in making JWST. At one point, Deputy Project Scientist Amber Straughn can be found speechless and teary-eyed while reflecting on the Carina Nebula, astonished at how this mesmerizing structure has always been out there. Nobel Prize-winner John Mather, who serves as Senior Project Scientist, can’t help but share his take on humanity’s place in the universe, contently stating we’re recycled and made of immortal atoms that originated someplace else in the cosmos. “Deep Sky” is at its best when Kahn gives us this commentary and perspective from those personally and professionally involved in JWST.

Again, these images are amazing—like looking at art. Hearing from the scientists, though, primarily women, provides viewers with an undeniable human connection to the subject matter. They have the same questions humans have had since we walked the Earth—where did we come from? How did the universe begin? Are we alone? Only they’re the ones who are able to build and launch JWST into orbit a million miles away from Earth.

What do their findings confirm? Of course, we already know we’re a tiny part of what has been created, but having this emphasized in IMAX is worth repeating.

I mentioned how “time” hinders the documentary; by that, I meant the documentary’s runtime. “Deep Sky” could certainly be more since what we get is immensely absorbing, but I’m content and curious about what Kahn provides.

RATING: ***