Beyond, Ode to the Earth
The Netherlands’ most famous astronaut makes his directorial debut with this visual spectacle in which we see the beauty of Earth through the eyes of an astronaut. With music by Greek composer Vangelis.
André Kuipers is best known as the third Dutchman to go into space. In 1999, he joined the European astronaut team and five years later went on his first space journey. A second six-month stay in space station ISS followed in 2011. Kuipers already processed his extraterrestrial experiences in two science fiction stories, and now he has made a film. In this immersive film experience, music and images blend seamlessly. Forty songs from the oeuvre of Greek musician and composer Vangelis form the film’s soundtrack, with a number of tracks adapted by Dutch trance DJ and self-proclaimed Vangelis fan Armin van Buuren.
Kuipers met Vangelis on a video call during his last stay in space. They kept in touch until Vangelis’ death in 2022. Kuipers also has a connection with Armin van Buuren: it was his music that Kuipers put on when he trained in space to maintain his muscle mass.