The space race officially ended in 1969, when NASA’s Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon. It took another 6 years for a US-Soviet link-up in space during July of 1975. The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, was launched to test docking while in orbit and served as closure to any sort of contentious related feelings regarding intercontinental space travel. The Soviets and US conducting joint activities was a precursor to the idea of an international space station.
Released in 1994, State of Weightlessness: The Human Toll of the Soviet Space Race, fills in the gap of what the space race looked like on the other side of the world. The focus of the documentary is unique to the USSR’s goal of testing the limits of space, and human endurance. The interview talking heads are enthralling, as if the viewer is witnessing unclassified documents in real time, where the Soviet cosmonauts try to explain the experience of being in orbit for extended periods of time. One of the points that all of them have in common is describing in detail how colorful the experience is, from both the sun, the moon and the earth especially the sunsets and sunrises which totaled 16 a day for the crew in orbit.
This sensation of color is communicated visually, making the documentary truly mesmerizing to watch. At first, the lack of structure and narrative is unsettling, forcing the viewer to keep up through decades of sifted through archival footage and interviews. It is jarring but the reality is that only because of the stories being shared do we know the extent of the Soviet cosmonaut ‘training’. The question of ethics from the survivors of these tests is heartbreaking and the filmmaking parallels humans with animals, showing how they were treated in a similar fashion. Space exploration to the Soviets was about testing the limits of humanity with little to no accountability or remorse on the test subjects. The stark contrast of the US space program is what grounds this very different perspective from the other side.
Maciej Drygas, renowned polish documentarian is at the helm of this film, which comes on the heels of his highly acclaimed Trains (2024) documentary. Known for his archeological-esque ability to dig through found footage, Drygas reclaims what he finds as his medium. In State of Weightlessness he adds context to the footage of these cosmonauts, giving a voice to something that would have remained buried otherwise. Outstanding.
What academic subjects or media education courses would benefit from the State of Weightlessness?
This archival footage is best suited for use in academia. The narrative is stripped away, leaving raw emotions and reactions from subjects that had been to space or even been experimented on. Their first hand experience sheds light on the early uncertainties of space travel and the rigorous approach both physically and psychologically from the Soviets. Applicable to a multitude of courses for any space program, this documentary is worth classroom discussion.
Is State of Weightlessness appropriate for public screenings?
I would not recommend this for public screenings. It is brutally unsettling at times and contains very dark subject matter. While encompassing, educational and intriguing, the documentary shows very real footage of crashes, dead bodies, human experimentation and animal testing. This harsh truth of the USSR’s space program is tough to stomach, and only intended for mature audiences whose intention is to educate themselves on the history of space travel. This documentary is best placed within academic libraries or restricted for home viewing.
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