Content Advisory: Rape and Sexual Assault, Suicide
A woman has to help an alien race to save her lost space brother in Meanwhile on Earth. Elsa Martens (Megan Northam) is a care home nurse, who is grieving for her astronaut brother Franck (Sebastien Pouderoux), who vanished without a trace while on a mission. One night, Elsa begins hearing Franck’s voice and learns that he has been put into a dream-like state by five aliens, who promise to return him home after Elsa helps them get to Earth. However, Elsa soon realizes that doing so will require a major sacrifice.
Meanwhile on Earth Synopsis
Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant ce temps sur Terre) is a science fiction drama written and directed by Jeremy Clapin. The film’s protagonist Elsa is an aspiring artist, who has taken a job at a care home as a way to deal with her grief for her brother Franck, who got lost in space. With the help of an alien seed found one night, Elsa can telepathically communicate with Franck, as well as the alien race who captured him. Elsa makes a deal with the aliens to open the path to get them to Earth but soon learns that it will require sacrificing five innocent lives.
My Thoughts on Meanwhile on Earth
Meanwhile on Earth deals with the ethical conundrum of whether you would be willing to sacrifice many lives for one. The film makes an interesting use of animated sequences as a stand-in for scenes taking place in space. While the film features a very sudden, and frankly unnecessary, sexual assault scene, Meanwhile on Earth ends up being a very affecting drama.