Aniara is a 2018 film written by Pella Kagerman, Hugo Lilja and Harry Martinson. Directed by Pella Kagerman and Hugo Lilja.
See full credits here (IMDb page)
Major Spoilers Ahead!
The word often used to describe this movie is ‘haunting’ and it is a brutal testament to how fatal it can be when you lose all hope.
The movie is set in a universe where catastrophes have devastated the planet and those that remain are seeking a new life on Mars.
Refugees are transported aboard the Aniara via a capsule that runs along a cable that stretches from Earth to the Aniara hovering above the planet. The passengers appear depressed and weary, with some looking both mentally and physically scarred.
The Mimarobe works aboard the Aniara overseeing the MIMA Hall. On the ceiling is a large area of pulsating light with varied hues of color. She looks down and she is suddenly walking along a shallow creek and eating berries. Back on the ship, she lifts her head and she is mentally back on the ship.
Meanwhile, passengers are treated to a welcome video by the ship’s astronomer, Roberta, who explains that the trip from Earth to Mars takes 3 weeks. There are a wide variety of amenities including 21 restaurants, a spa and a tanning salon. We also learn that the air in the ship is completely natural as it is derived from the algae that is grown in the ship.
The Mimarobe tries to attract passersby to come in for an introduction to the MIMA. She explains to her small class of around 5 persons, that the MIMA was created for the first settlers on Mars. She then instructs one of the guests to look down. When she does, instead of seeing the floor, she sees a lake. The Mimarobe holds a small rectangular-shaped device to the back of the lady’s head. There is a screen which shows the images that a person is seeing as they look down towards the floor. The Mimarobe explains that what each person sees is personal to them as the MIMA has access to their memory banks.
Suddenly, the ship jolts to one side. There was a critical failure on a part of the ship and they had to eject their nuclear fuel and have gone off course. After assessing the situation, they see that the Lyra constellation is ahead.
The captain addresses the passengers who are seated in a large assembly hall. He explains that they had to make an emergency maneuver to avoid collision with space debris. A screw penetrated and hit the reactor, and they therefore had no choice but to eject all their fuel, which means they can no longer steer the ship. They are knocked off course and cannot turn back. Once they pass a celestial body however, they can use its gravity to get back on course. He assures them that this would not be more than two years away and that they would be duly compensated upon their arrival to Mars.
The workers aboard the ship frantically try to reassure passengers and keep them calm.
Food Concerns
The captain meets with his officers to discuss how soon they can increase algae production to cover their food needs. An officer responds that they can immediately increase the production, and the oxygen system would not be burdened.
Their food supply would only last a further two months before they would only have the algae to survive on.
Week 3
By week 3 into the voyage, we already see an increase in the number of persons going to the MIMA Hall. There are 11 guests inside the MIMA Hall with several guests outside waiting to come in. The Mimarobe explains that once they are inside the images, they will not feel their body and that is why they lie down on the floor while experiencing the images.
Back in their cabin, the Mimarobe asks the astronomer, Roberta, which celestial body they will be able to turn at.
Roberta states that there is no celestial body that they will be able to reach.
No Way Back
A passenger is on the floor panicking. He says that an astronomer told him that they will not be able to turn around. As more people struggle to come to terms with their new reality, the MIMA hall is now filled to capacity with more guests waiting outside.
The Mimarobe goes to request more assistance from the captain. She also mentions to him that people will panic when they realize they cannot turn around. The captain responds that he will go public with the situation once people get used to eating the algae and that they in fact have built their “own little planet”.
Year 3
A group dance has been created and everyone is perfectly in sync on the dance floor as people seem to be coping with their situation.
The captain discusses with an officer that the water smells like sulfate. They offer double points for new algae plant employees as more people are needed.
They also teach the children about how algae is grown.
The MIMA’s Pain
Outside guest hours, we see the Mimarobe in an image where she is lying down and looking at the sky. Suddenly, a couple of the birds in the sky start to disintegrate, while others abruptly fall into the lake. The Mimarobe comes out of the image looking concerned and goes to inspect the electronics.
As visitors start coming into the hall, the MIMA starts to speak. However, it seems as if only the Mimarobe can understand what is being said.
A guest starts to convulse as he has a memory of burning forests and people running through the fire. The Mimarobe assists him out of the MIMA Hall, then uses her device to view the images of several of the guests. She seems concerned and asks everyone to leave.
She is summoned to the captain who is very angry. She tries to explain that the MIMA needs rest as it sees everyone’s memories and what they have been through.
The MIMA starts speaking again, “I want peace. I will be done with my displays… how grim it always is, one’s detonation.”
There is a loud explosion as the MIMA destroys itself.
The passengers are angry with the Mimarobe and they blame her for the MIMA’s demise. The Captain declares that he wants her punished and they arrest her. One of the female officers, Isagel, tries to defend the MIMArobe. Isagel gets into an argument with the Captain and hits him. She is beaten and locked in a small room with the Mimarobe.
Year 4
The once clean and vibrant mall that was bustling with people is now empty and filled with garbage.
The captain and an officer are inside a cabin with blood on the wall and sheets. Another family has committed suicide, bringing the count to 48 in that month alone.
The remaining passengers are now being forcefully recruited to work on vital parts of the ship, such as on the algae farm and in deoxidation.
Isagel and the Mimarobe, who have become a couple, are now out of confinement. The Mimarobe is assigned to teach the children with a focus on Tensor Theory.
The Cults
Various cults have sprung up and one of the members try to recruit Isagel and the Mimarobe. She tells them that they are going to canonize MIMA. Isagel and the Mimarobe attends the meeting, which quickly descends into an orgy.
Year 5
Isagel is pregnant.
She tells the Mimarobe that there are no possibilities, and that another child will be a prisoner there.
The Mimarobe tries to encourage her and tells her that it will be fine. She goes to the MIMA hall to see if any of the wires can be salvaged to build a beam screen and goes to the captain about her idea. He rejects the idea, as they need to think about the future generations to make a home for them there. There is nothing more important than the work that she is doing, which is teaching the children.
Shortly afterwards, Isagel gives birth. She looks depressed and forlorn as she looks at her newborn baby.
The Anomaly
The crew discovers an anomaly with a spectral signature that is around 14 months away from the ship. They speculate that it could contain fuel. The captain announces to the passengers that an emergency fuel probe is on the way. It will arrive in a year and they can restart the engines and turn back around.
Year 6
They retrieve the object and run tests on it. However, they are unable to determine its elemental composition.
They speculate that it may be that their method of testing and analysis is outdated and they begin to regret telling the passengers that it was a rescue probe. The captain disagrees as people were motivated because it gave them hope.
Miracle or Chance?
We see the Asrronomer drinking. She tells the MIMArobe that miracle and chance come from the same source and that the object showing up has nothing to do with them. It was just chance, devoid of any meaning.
Meanwhile, the passengers are beginning to feel concerned as to why the ship has not yet turned around. In a bid to motivate them, the captain decides to give the astronomer an award for discovering the anomaly. He emphasizes that the last thing they want is for people to lose hope.
The Astronomer responds by declaring that they are in “a sarcophagus”. The captain, fearful of her spreading further rumors, fatally shoots her.
The ship encounters space debris. The impact damages their equipment and takes the lives of several passengers and crew.
Isagel goes further into depression. The Mimarobe responds by going to work on building a beam screen for the ship. With the screen finally completed, she excitedly goes back to their cabin to tell Isagel. However, she finds Isagel’s body with a piece of cloth around her neck and the body of her child.
Year 10
The captain addresses the passengers in the assembly hall. He tells them that they are pioneers that have gone further into space than anyone else and calls the Mimarobe onstage to give her a medal for the beam screen. She notices that the captain’s wrist is cut and covered with a bandage.
Year 24
The Sarcophagus
We see the ship floating in space with no lights coming from it. There are persons sitting in a room with chapped lips and lesions on their skin.
Year 5,981,407
Lyra Constellation
The ship floats in front of a planet in the Lyra constellation.