Lunarcy!

Nearly 44 years ago, we were successful in putting a man on the moon.  There has been six manned missions to the moon between between 1969 and 1972 and we have not returned since.  The documentary Lunarcy! focuses on a group of individuals, who not only want to go to the moon – they want to live there.

 

The film's main subject is a man named Christopher Carson.  Carson's current goal in life is to raise enough funds, through a campaign he named “Luna City or Bust,” in order for him to travel to the moon and live there.  This definitely sounds to be a crazy idea from a guy who seems to be a bit of a lunatic and self-described social outcast (in an interview with his mother, it's revealed he as Asperger's).  However, despite his quirkiness, Carson in fact comes off as quite an intelligent person, who is able to articulate the exact requirements needed for him to succeed in his goal in living on the moon.

Another interesting subject in the film is a man named Dennis Hope.  Hope is a former ventriloquist who exploited a loophole in the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and claimed ownership of the moon, as well as other planets an their moons.  Hope has made it a business to sell property on the moon and his customers have included former US presidents Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush.  Also featured in the film is Peter Kokh, who wrote the Moon Miners Manfesto and is also quite interested to find ways to colonize the moon.

 

For the most part I would say that Lunarcy! is played mostly for laughs.  The comedy of the documentary is enhanced by the constant use of intertitles to focus on some of the ridiculous points made in the film.  However, despite the comedic nature of the film, it is interesting to note how passionate these people are about the moon, even if their goals don't really seem realistic.  Also, the point is made that humanity was once promised a future in space that never really emerged.  As such, is it really that crazy that people want to live beyond our planet?

 

Depending on your point of view, the subjects of Lunarcy! are either extremely passionate or complete nutjobs.  However, I do have to say that I enjoyed to documentary and that's all that counts at the end of the day.

8 | LIKED IT

BONUS: Christopher Carson (and the director Simon Ennis) were in attendance at the screening of the film I attended and I asked Carson to record a little greeting: