Welcome to the discussion guide for Becoming Interplanetary. This page helps you explore the film’s story, from our first creative moments to what life could be like beyond Earth. As you move through each section, you’ll find questions and stories about wonder, problem-solving, community, and the choices we make as explorers.
Whether you’re here to lead or join in, these questions are for everyone. Use them to connect the film’s ideas to your own life, what you’re curious about, what matters to you, and what you hope for our world. This is a place to listen, share, and learn together, so we can think about our future in space and how we look after each other and our planet. Every voice counts.
Film Structure
Prologue: Why We Explore
We begin with a simple yet profound question: What calls us beyond the boundaries of comfort and necessity? The urge to explore lies deep within us, driving discovery, expression, and what it means to be human.
Act 1: The First Frontier – Art Before Words
Long before science or even language, humanity’s first explorations were told through art. From cave paintings to music, creativity was our original window to the unknown.
Featured art:
- A Trip to the Moon Georges Méliès, 1902
Act 2: Common Ground, Uncommon Challenges
Earth’s history of exploration is complex: filled with triumphs, mistakes, and lessons we cannot afford to ignore as we look to the stars. How can we find shared purpose amid difference?
Featured art:
- American Progress John Gast, 1872
- The Map of Hell Sandro Botticelli, mid-1480s-mid-1490s
- Nazca Lines Nazca Culture, 200 BCE – 600 CE
Act 3: Balancing Acts – Taking Meaningful Risks
Progress requires risk, embraced thoughtfully and responsibly. What does it mean to take creative and physical leaps for the sake of a better future?
Featured art:
- The Trail of Tears Robert Lindneux, 1942
Act 4: Ancient Wisdom, A Humble Path Forward
The cosmos has shaped every culture’s myths and meaning. What lessons from our past traditions and stories can guide us as we become an interplanetary species?
Featured art:
- Roden Crater: The South Space James Turrell, 2024
Act 5: Science Informs, Art Transforms
Science uncovers the universe’s mysteries; art imagines new ways of seeing and being. Together, they invite us to dream, and to build, a future beyond Earth.
Featured art:
- The Rosetta Stone Ptolemaic Dynasty, 196 BC
- Paradise Lost John Milton, 1667
Act 6: Beyond the Horizon – Changing What We See
Seeing the Earth from space reshapes our perspective. This “overview effect” challenges us to care for our planet and to reimagine our place in a vast, connected cosmos.
Featured art:
- Guernica Pablo Picasso, 1937
- Earthrise William Anders, 1968
Act 7: Space Art – A Cultural Canvas
Every culture has looked skyward and shaped its own story of the stars. Through space art, we express curiosity, hope, and what we value most about being human.
Featured art:
- Babylonian Star Catalogue Uruk Culture, 320-150 BC
- From the Earth to the Moon Jules Verne,1865
- Medinet Habu Mortuary Temple of Rameses III, c. 1186–1155 BC
- Ladder to the Moon Georgia O’Keeffe, 1958
- The Ancient of Days William Blake, 1794
- Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God Jan Matejko, 1873
- Saturn as seen from Titan, Chesley Bonestell, 1944
Act 8: With Many, Fewer Missteps
Becoming interplanetary is not a solo endeavor. By including more voices, backgrounds, and perspectives, we stand a better chance of avoiding old mistakes and forging a better path.
Act 10: Earth – The Ultimate Mission
In all our journeys outward, Earth remains both our home and most precious responsibility. How we treat our planet and each other, defines our legacy in the universe.
Featured art:
- Pakal’s Sarcophagus, Mayan Culture, c. 683 CE
- Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí, 1882-2026
- The Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh, 1889
Start the Conversation
As you explore Becoming Interplanetary, we invite you to reflect and discuss these three big questions at the heart of the film:
What drives humanity to explore, and how do art, science, and culture shape that drive?
As we become interplanetary, how can we avoid repeating past mistakes and instead build a more just and sustainable future?
How might living beyond Earth transform our sense of identity, our responsibilities, and our relationship with our home planet?
The questions below are here to help guide open and welcoming conversations with your group, connecting the film’s ideas to real life. Use these prompts to invite everyone to share their feelings, memories, and hopes about curiosity, creativity, responsibility, belonging, technology, who we are, and what we dream of. Encourage each person to listen closely, add to each other’s ideas, and think about not only our possible future in space, but also what it means to care for one another and our planet. These questions are meant to get everyone talking and to make sure every perspective matters.
Human Nature, Exploration, and Curiosity
- Why do you think humans have an urge to explore, even when it involves risk or discomfort?
- Can you remember a time when you felt the urge to explore something new, even if it was outside your comfort zone? What motivated you?
- How do you satisfy your own curiosity in everyday life? What kinds of things make you want to learn more or go further?
- In what ways does exploration, whether scientific, artistic, or geographical, shape who we are as individuals and as a species?
- How might our drive to explore new places be both a strength and a weakness for humanity?
Art, Science, and Inspiration
- How are art and science similar in their goals and impacts on society?
- Why might art be considered as important to humanity as scientific discovery or technological progress?
- Has a piece of art, music, or science ever changed how you see the world or inspired you to try something new? What was it, and how did it affect you?
- In your life, do you see connections between creativity and problem-solving? Can you share an example?
- Can you think of examples where art has changed the way people see the world or inspired new ideas about exploration?
Art, Science, and Inspiration
- How are art and science similar in their goals and impacts on society?
- Why might art be considered as important to humanity as scientific discovery or technological progress?
- Has a piece of art, music, or science ever changed how you see the world or inspired you to try something new? What was it, and how did it affect you?
- In your life, do you see connections between creativity and problem-solving? Can you share an example?
- Can you think of examples where art has changed the way people see the world or inspired new ideas about exploration?
Ethics, Responsibility, and Decision-Making
- What responsibilities do humans have when exploring new frontiers, such as space?
- How can we avoid repeating the mistakes of past explorations, such as exploitation or environmental harm, as we move into space?
- Should there be limits on what humanity is allowed to do in space? Who should decide these limits?
- When you face a big decision, how do you weigh the risks and rewards? Can you think of a time when taking a risk led to something valuable?
- Have you ever had to consider the impact of your actions on others or the environment? What did you do, and what did you learn?
Cooperation, Community, and Global Perspectives
- Why is international cooperation important in space exploration?
- What challenges make it hard for countries to work together in space, and how might these be overcome?
- How can space exploration help us see ourselves as part of a global community rather than separate nations?
- Describe a time when working with others from different backgrounds helped you achieve a goal or see things differently.
- How do you think your community could benefit from more collaboration or sharing of ideas?
Cooperation, Community, and Global Perspectives
- Why is international cooperation important in space exploration?
- What challenges make it hard for countries to work together in space, and how might these be overcome?
- How can space exploration help us see ourselves as part of a global community rather than separate nations?
- Describe a time when working with others from different backgrounds helped you achieve a goal or see things differently.
- How do you think your community could benefit from more collaboration or sharing of ideas?
Technology, Risk, and the Future
- How does accepting risk play a role in progress and discovery? When might risk be too great?
- What are the possible long-term consequences of becoming an interplanetary species?
- How might new technologies change our lives on Earth if we focus on off-world resource acquisition?
- When you imagine the future, what possibilities excite you most? What role do you hope to play in shaping that future?
Identity, Perspective, and Belonging
- How might seeing Earth from space change the way we think about our planet and ourselves?
- In what ways can learning about other planets, like Mars, help us better understand and protect Earth?
- Has learning about other cultures, places, or people ever changed how you view your own identity or community?
- What stories, traditions, or beliefs from your background shape the way you think about exploration or the unknown?
- How do stories, myths, and cultural traditions about the stars influence our view of space and exploration?
Identity, Perspective, and Belonging
- How might seeing Earth from space change the way we think about our planet and ourselves?
- In what ways can learning about other planets, like Mars, help us better understand and protect Earth?
- Has learning about other cultures, places, or people ever changed how you view your own identity or community?
- What stories, traditions, or beliefs from your background shape the way you think about exploration or the unknown?
- How do stories, myths, and cultural traditions about the stars influence our view of space and exploration?
Imagination Without Borders
- Why is it important that people from different backgrounds and skill sets are involved in space exploration?
- How can broad perspectives lead to better solutions and discoveries as we explore new frontiers?
- What role does your own culture or background play in how you think about space and exploration?
- How does your own imagination influence the choices you make or the goals you set for yourself?
- Do you think humanity will ever become a truly interplanetary species? Why or why not?
- How do you imagine life might change if humans settle on other planets?
- What role does imagination play in scientific and technological breakthroughs?