Logline
The German astrophysicist Prof Dr Heino Falcke wants to achieve the impossible: A film of a black hole. To do this, he has to expand the global EHT ( Event Horizon Telescope), a network of several radio telescopes. He will dismantle a huge telescope located at an altitude of 5000 metres in Chile and have it transported and assembled on a 2300-metre-high table mountain in Namibia. uncharted table mountain in Namibia, against the backdrop of one of the cosmos’s most profound mysteries. Sounds adventurous, but it is. A daring mission, filmed in breathtaking locations against the backdrop of one of the greatest scientific mysteries of our universe.
Synopsis
In 2019, the world held its breath as the first image of a black hole was unveiled. Because something was photographed – which is actually invisible and about the size of a doughnut on the moon in the sky. This scientific breakthrough was made possible by Prof Dr Falcke with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), of which he is a co-initiator. This inspired Prof Falcke to now push the boundaries even further. Not just a single photo, but now a series of images, a “film”. A film that could visualise the processes that determine the formation and development of galaxies and the interplay between Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.
What’s so special about it, if you can take one photo, you can take several? Not quite, Prof Falcke has to close the last gap in Africa.
He takes on the extreme challenge of dismantling a huge telescope with sensitive equipment at an altitude of 5000 metres in Chile and moving it halfway across the globe to the flat summit of a 2500-metre-high table mountain in the Namibian desert… BUT… there is no road to the top of the mountain in Namibia, which is also inhabited by former German settlers who are vehemently opposed to the project. Problems seem almost inevitable
This is where Dr Marc Klein Wolt comes in. He is an astrophysicist and head of the Radiolab at Radboud University (NL), where Falcke also teaches. He has proven that it is precisely the large and seemingly impossible projects that he knows how to realise. The podcast “The Man and the Moon” was published in the Netherlands about his adventures.
Professor Falcke’s idea reads like a fantasy story, but 40 million euros have now been made available internationally for this project and Falcke is already being honoured with prizes even before the new mission.
“Into Nowhere” promises to visually captivate the audience by showing stunning locations on Earth, juxtaposed against the grandeur of the universe. In the process, the inspiring journey of human curiosity, determination and scientific ambition is impressively illuminated.
If Einstein had the chance to return from Nowhere – it would probably be now.
Synopsis
In 2019, the world held its breath as the first image of a black hole was unveiled. Because something was photographed – which is actually invisible and about the size of a doughnut on the moon in the sky. This scientific breakthrough was made possible by Prof Dr Falcke with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), of which he is a co-initiator. This inspired Prof Falcke to now push the boundaries even further. Not just a single photo, but now a series of images, a “film”. A film that could visualise the processes that determine the formation and development of galaxies and the interplay between Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.
What’s so special about it, if you can take one photo, you can take several? Not quite, Prof Falcke has to close the last gap in Africa.
This is where Dr Marc Klein Wolt comes in. He is an astrophysicist and head of the Radiolab at Radboud University (NL), where Falcke also teaches. He has proven that it is precisely the large and seemingly impossible projects that he knows how to realise. The podcast “The Man and the Moon” was published in the Netherlands about his adventures.
Professor Falcke’s idea reads like a fantasy story, but 40 million euros have now been made available internationally for this project and Falcke is already being honoured with prizes even before the new mission.
“Into Nowhere” promises to visually captivate the audience by showing stunning locations on Earth, juxtaposed against the grandeur of the universe. In the process, the inspiring journey of human curiosity, determination and scientific ambition is impressively illuminated.
If Einstein had the chance to return from Nowhere – it would probably be now.
Status quo of production
In preproduction. Shooting start in spring 2024. Its partly financed. Its partly financed.
Status quo of production
In preproduction. Shooting start in spring 2024. Its partly financed.
Director’s note
From the first moment I heard about this ‘impossible’ mission I was ‘hooked’. I see this film as a great opportunity to tell a wonderful story. It will be both an adventure, a science story and a philosophical search to the origins of the universe. It is an important international scientific topic that will resonate all over the world. The James Webb telescope has made astronomy hot again. So many beautiful elements come together: adventure, technology, nature, human passion and drive, competition, collaboration, science, philosophy, religion… all these subjects have played a role in my films before. I love working on a film with a wide scope, great heights and deep distances. I have previously made documentaries and series for Discovery Channel and (inter)national public and commercial broadcasters on history topics, medical, mental health, airplanes, music and architecture. Every project was a journey of discovery into something I didn’t know and haven’t done before. This is the pinnacle for me: To the Stars and Beyond!
Director’s note
From the first moment I heard about this ‘impossible’ mission I was ‘hooked’. I see this film as a great opportunity to tell a wonderful story. It will be both an adventure, a science story and a philosophical search to the origins of the universe. It is an important international scientific topic that will resonate all over the world. The James Webb telescope has made astronomy hot again. So many beautiful elements come together: adventure, technology, nature, human passion and drive, competition, collaboration, science, philosophy, religion… all these subjects have played a role in my films before. I love working on a film with a wide scope, great heights and deep distances. I have previously made documentaries and series for Discovery Channel and (inter)national public and commercial broadcasters on history topics, medical, mental health, airplanes, music and architecture. Every project was a journey of discovery into something I didn’t know and haven’t done before. This is the pinnacle for me: To the Stars and Beyond!
Martijn Schroevers
Beginning in the early ’90s with documentaries exploring castles and palaces for Discovery, he continued to produce works like “Treasures of the Earth” and “A Vision to Heal” focusing on medicine. His films include a critical investigation film on the MH17 crash for the Dutch security authority and a series profiling architect Francine Houben. Schroevers’ approach extended to the immersive “This is Holland” experience at the Amsterdam Theater in 2018. His career showcases a versatile, curious and engaging storytelling style.
Martijn Schroevers
Beginning in the early ’90s with documentaries exploring castles and palaces for Discovery, he continued to produce works like “Treasures of the Earth” and “A Vision to Heal” focusing on medicine. His films include a critical investigation film on the MH17 crash for the Dutch security authority and a series profiling architect Francine Houben. Schroevers’ approach extended to the immersive “This is Holland” experience at the Amsterdam Theater in 2018. His career showcases a versatile, curious and engaging storytelling style.
Facts
Genre:
Science doc
Length:
3 x 56 min.
Director & Script:
Martijn Schroevers
Producers:
Frank Müller & Kerstin Reich
DOPPELPLUSULTRA FILMPRODUKTION
(Germany)
Production stage:
Preproduction
Country of production:
Germany
Countries of shooting:
Germany, Netherlands, USA, Chile, France, Namibia
Languages:
English, German
Budget:
3 x 200.000,00 €
Release:
Episode 01: End of 2025
Episode 02: End of 2027
Episode 03: End of 2029
Facts
Genre:
Science doc
Length:
3 x 56 min.
Director & Script:
Martijn Schroevers
Producers:
Frank Müller & Kerstin Reich
DOPPELPLUSULTRA FILMPRODUKTION
(Germany)
Production stage:
Preproduction
Country of production:
Germany
Countries of shooting:
Germany, Netherlands, USA, Chile, France, Namibia
Languages:
English, German
Budget:
3 x 200.000,00 €
Release:
Episode 01: End of 2025
Episode 02: End of 2027
Episode 03: End of 2029
Contact
Get informed
DOPPELPLUSULTRA
FILMPRODUKTION GmbH
Repsoldstraße 45
20097 Hamburg
Germany
mail@doppelplusultra.de
www.doppelplusultra.de