Usually, being selected as the space pilot for the biggest nuclear waste disposal company in Eastern Europe can be a badge of honor in and of itself. Imagine, however, that you’re piloting a spacecraft alone, carrying with you Earth’s nuclear wastes as your payload. Destination: Jupiter’s moon, Calliope. Estimated length of mission: four years. For most people, it’s an offer that they might refuse. On the other hand, if everything goes swimmingly, it’s every introverted misanthrope’s wet dream.
“U Are the Universe,” Writer/Director Pavlo Ostrikov’s debut feature premiering at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, tackles the most universal aspects of our existence: loneliness, hope, and love. What if everything that could go wrong in space, did go wrong? Anchored by Volodymyr Kravchuk towering performance, we witness a tender story about finding love and hope in the vastness of space that, in terms of scope, is both intimate and interstellar.
Ubiquitous, Global Environmental Crisis on Earth
“U Are the Universe” begins with an onboarding video from the waste disposal company — a neat trick to avoid over-exposition — that explains the film’s backstory in just a few minutes. In the near future, Earth has seen better days, now ravaged by the consequences of decades of nuclear energy use that has led to a global environmental crisis. An increasing number of earthquakes makes matters worse; affecting the storage facilities holding the nuclear waste, the radiation from which further destroying life on the planet.
Ukrainian space trucker Andriy Melnyk (Kravchuk) is tasked with transporting hazardous material to the outer reaches of the solar system. Piloting the cargo ship Obriy, he embarks on a four-year mission to deliver the nuclear waste to Jupiter’s desolate moon, Callisto.
Under normal circumstances, one may beg to reconsider this job. But for Andriy, this gives him comfort, largely due to the solitude he gets. Playing vinyl records while he performs his daily routine, he gets periodic video messages from his employers on Earth, usually complaints about his performance at work. Through those messages, we get a glimpse of Andriy’s nonchalant, IDGAF attitude in his work; content to be alone as he navigates the cold void of space.
Ultimate Survivor, Post-Explosion
Utilizing a robot as a narrative device to accompany its protagonist, the film shows Maxim (voiced by Leonid Popadko), a witty robot armed with an endless supply of jokes to keep Andriy company. Their banter provides the film with brief moments of levity, including their discussions about adjusting Maxim’s humor settings as well as his skills in chess. Basically, think of TARS in “Interstellar” for the acerbic wit, but with EVE or M-O’s eyes when breaking Andriy the bad news.
Unlike any bad news, however, this one is different: Earth just exploded, reduced to smithereens that travel in all directions, with a speed of about 10,000 kilometers per second. With the unimaginable happening, Andriy appears to possibly be the last living human in the universe. He is alone, adrift in space with approximately 16 months of supplies and no clear path forward. However, despite Earth’s destruction, Andriy’s reaction is not one of despair, but rather an odd sense of freedom. Kravchuk’s performance nails the character of a curmudgeon who seems crotchety, but whose exterior belies a longing for another being — another soul.
Up until that point, Andriy thought he was the last person in the Universe. Suddenly, Maxim detects a faint transmission from a distant source, coming from a woman who heard Andriy’s radio transmission gloating about being the sole surviving human in the cosmos. We learn that the woman, named Catherine (voiced by Alexia Depicker and played by Daria Plahtiy), is a French scientist just a couple of weeks into docking her spacecraft near Saturn when the Earth exploded. Now they’re the last people in the universe.
Underpinning the True Meaning of Isolation
Using a translator device, the pair begin communicating their respective situations to find ways on how to navigate their survival. And while their initial communication is hampered by the vast distance and the three-hour delay in transmissions, as time passes, the two develop a genuine connection. Their conversations, reminiscent of old-fashioned pen pals, begin with small talk and stories of their vastly different lives — Andriy’s in Khmelnytskyi and Catherine’s in Brittany. Through these exchanges, the former might have finally realized the true essence of isolation.
Unexpected as it may seem for Andriy to suddenly care for a woman he has never seen, we as audiences feel invested in them. Ostrikov’s screenplay shows two people forging a bond that transcends the limitations of space and time. Andriy’s once solitary existence is now driven by the hope of once again experiencing human connection, something he didn’t realize he needed until everything was taken away.
Unsurprisingly, the film borrows from space films of the past, such as Stanley Kubrick‘s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Solaris.” Nevertheless, Ostrikov makes an original story out of those influences. In fact, there are several aspects that I liked in this film, particularly how he seamlessly balances the film’s tones. The comedy courtesy of Maxim’s humor really blends well with Andriy’s melancholy. And when a potential romance builds up with Catherine’s arrival, the balance never really falters.
‘U Are the Universe’: An Allegory about Hope
“U Are the Universe” also benefits from Nikita Kuzmenko’s cinematography which I appreciate. Here, the overall quality exudes more of a functional look and less of a glammed-up cosmos. This actually bodes well with Andriy’s monotonous mission. There’s hardly any excitement for him this time, especially when context gives us an idea that this isn’t his first rodeo.
Ultimately, though, the film serves as an allegory about hope even during the darkest of times. Written and filmed during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Ostrikov’s film cares more about the characters’ journey and less about the science and circumstances that brought upon Earth’s demise. This deliberate choice could have been a poor decision, yet it doesn’t feel that way here. Instead, it emphasizes the intrinsic need for human companionship, as seen during the film’s third act. Now with a burning resolve to be with Catherine whatever it takes, Andriy musters everything — courage, confidence, resources, oxygen — for a space walk that guarantees nothing.
Unapologetically romantic and existential with varying levels of success, Ostrikov’s direction in the film’s final ten minutes makes “U Are the Universe” a cerebral watch. At the same time, it manages to drive home the film’s point: when it comes to human connections, we need not wait for our own worst-case scenario to happen before we start forging one.
A joint production by Ukraine and Belgium, “U Are the Universe” had its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Follow us for more coverage.
