Far Side of the Moon

Running time: 105 mins

Phillipe, who daydreams about traveling in space, is stuck in a dead-end job as a telemarketer. He keeps delaying the defense of his doctoral dissertation, in which he asserts that man?s desire to explore space stems from his own narcissicism. When Phillipe?s mother dies, he realizes that he is alone in the world, and seeks to reconcile with his younger brother, a successful TV weatherman. But for an alienated man who believes that people are only interested in themselves, it is easier to search the mysteries of the universe than to relate to others on this planet. But when Phillipe receives an opportunity to travel to Russia to present his ideas on man and space, he becomes energized in a way that those around him were certain no longer existed.

Director/writer Robert Lepage plays the sad sack looking Phillipe with both humor and empathy in this wryly comedic tale. Posing questions about man?s purpose in a manner that is both intellectually challenging and entertaining, Lepage creates a portrait of a man who is comfortable in his own skin, while making others around him uncomfortable. And as Phillipe travels to the far side of the moon, he discovers and explores the hidden side of himself. Featuring a fantastic and elegiac score from "Cirque de Soleil" composer Benoît Jutras, Far Side of the Moon is a powerful examination of the effects of gravity on the human soul.

Sandy Wolf

GLOBAL LANDSCAPES