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