The first fiction film shot in orbit has been released in Russia, which has generated great national pride and has been considered an achievement in the context of space rivalry with the United States. The film, called “The Challenge,” tells the story of a surgeon who is sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to operate on an injured cosmonaut. For its realization, Russia sent an actress and a director into space in October 2021 for 12 days.
This project was carried out quickly to get ahead of a US initiative led by Tom Cruise and has been considered a source of pride for Moscow in a context of space rivalry with Washington reminiscent of Cold War times. In the midst of the diplomatic crisis with the West since Moscow’s offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, the space sector seems to be one of the last areas of cooperation between Russians and Westerners, although the rivalry is fierce, especially since the emergence of private companies such as Elon Musk’s US-based SpaceX.
The film is co-produced by the Russian space agency Roscosmos and the Pervy Kanal television channel and has been acclaimed for its authenticity and realism, having been filmed in the 230 m3 Russian module of the ISS and featuring three professional Russian cosmonauts on the station. Director Klim Chipenko, who was in charge of the camera, lighting, and sound, recorded 30 hours of footage, of which 50 minutes were used in the final editing. Actress Yulia Peresild, 38, plays the lead role and underwent a four-month accelerated training program before being sent into space. The film has been seen as a demonstration of Russia’s technological leadership in the space race and an achievement in the cultural and artistic spheres.