With films such as Arrival, First Man, Gravity, and Ad Astra, a new sub-genre has emerged about emotionally conflicted astronauts who must head to space in order to deal with their relationship with their family. Proxima, directed by Alice Winocour, is the latest entry into this canon. Starring Eva Green as an astronaut who must prepare to leave her daughter behind as she gears up for a year in space, Promixa explores the challenges Green’s Sarah faces as she must balance her career with the love of her child. The film co-stars Matt Dillon and Toni Erdmann’s Sandra Hüller. Proxima played the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and will now arrive digitally in the U.S. next month on November 6.
Jared Mobarak said in his TIFF review, “Writer-director Alice Winocour intentionally leaves an open-ended question hanging throughout Proxima so we can wrap our heads around the complexity of what it means to do something so profound and yet still wonder if you’re being selfish for pursuing the accomplishment. It comes in the form of a signature stating that Sarah wants to be notified in space if something were to happen to Stella on Earth. Initial reactions assume an automatic “Yes,” but think about the sense of futility you would feel—the helplessness as far as your inability to be the comforting, physically close mother to which your child is accustomed. Mike might callously suggest finally “cutting the cord” to wall off her focus, but it’s not that simple. A parents’ worry can’t be turned off.”
See the trailer below.
Proxima opens digitally on November 6.