Unseen Skies

Invited

Trevor Paglen is the subject of Yaara Bou Melhem’s documentary, which follows the artist as he develops several projects, including Orbital Reflector and Sight Machine, works that extend his oeuvre of inquiries into government surveillance and secrecy. Paglen and his processes—which span a technological spectrum from 19th-century photographic methods to artificial intelligence—are revealed in sequences that explore his motivation to make art that both incorporates and elucidates the threats hidden in otherwise constructive tools of innovation and enterprise, from cameras to trains to spacecraft.  

In harmony with Paglen’s ideas and aesthetics, the film employs intricate visual effects and deft landscape cinematography to underscore high-concept endeavors that are both informed by and wary of the uses of technology. As Paglen tells us, “Art teaches people how to see”; Unseen Skies brings the artist’s work even further into focus.  TM 

 

Filmmaker Q&A available

Closed captioning available

This film is only available to viewers in the United States

Director

Yaara Bou Melhem

Producers

Yaara Bou Melhem, Ivan O’Mahoney

Executive Producers

Diane Weyermann, Jeff Skoll, Nial Fulton, Ivan O’Mahoney

Editor

Francisco Forbes

Cinematographer

Tom Bannigan

Composer

Helena Czajka

Release Year

2021

Festival Year

2022

Country

United States

Run Time

98 minutes

Subtitled

No