Interview: Director Mike Cahill Conjures ‘Another Earth’

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CHICAGO – The real strength of the new film “Another Earth” doesn’t necessarily lie in the science fiction aspect of a world appearing in the sky and bearing down on our earth, but in the humanity that is changed and reflected through that event. Director Mike Cahill co-wrote and directed this impressive and imaginative film.

Cahill is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer and editor that got his start as a field producer for National Geographic, making over a dozen films about animals and nature for that cable channel. His directorial debut came in 2004 with “Boxers and Ballerinas” (co-directed and co-written by Brit Marling, his writing partner on Another Earth). His interest in science and his experience shooting thousands of hours of film directly influenced the fragile and delicate atmosphere of his new film.

Brit Marling was Co-Writer with Mike Cahill on ‘Another Earth’ Photo credit: © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp

Mike Cahill sat down and talked with HollywoodChicago.com, with his enthusiasm for Another Earth evident in all of his musings on the film.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the spark that lit the flame for this screenplay. Was it a specific event or an idea that came out of observation?

Mike Cahill: It came from the event that it was possible. Not that a parallel earth is possible, although it is, that it was possible Brit and I could make this film. I knew I could do the visual effects and there were no financial concerns. We came at it on an emotion level, we all have this intense, deep yearning not to be alone as human beings. And no matter how many people are around us, we are still very much alone. Our point-of-view on the world, from our two eyes looking out, that we’re born alone and die alone, it’s part of being human. That is why we search the sky as a society looking for extraterrestials, and that’s why as individuals we’re trying to connect. That was the emotional intuit, and the practical was we could do it.

HollywoodChicago.com: What kind of science were you thinking of the most when theorizing about the events in Another Earth?

Cahill: There is this great astrophysicist named Dr. Richard Berenson, who worked with Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov, and he had this audiobook I was listening to while driving. He talked about the stars and cosmos, with his voice a combination of Darth Vader and God, and there were a few scientific facts that were fascinating. Superior conjunction, when all the planets are hidden by the sun, every few years so we can’t see them even with a telescope, I thought that was interesting. There is also the ‘place behind the sun,’ in which we’ve never had a photographic image. NASA launched the ‘stereo space program’ in 2006, where they sent a satellite in front of the earth and in behind us in our orbit, to try and see behind the sun. There is that space there that we’ve never seen.

There is also this physicist named Brian Greene that studies the ‘multi-verse,’ the parallel universes. The most cutting edge of physics today seems to suggest that there are parallel universes, that is what the math says.

I took all that stuff, threw it into an artistic shaker, and made a mixed drink of it all and used it as metaphor to tell this very human story – it ends up being an entertaining thriller with science as a metaphor.

HollywoodChicago.com: The parallel relationship story is one of coping, redemption and forgiveness. What are you trying to communicate about the human emotions of John and Rhoda in the face of what obviously would be one of the most historic consequences in recorded history?

Cahill: The discovery of a parallel earth would be one of those historic, life-changing paradigms. What is fascinating about ‘historic, life-changing paradigms’ is that there are like that in the beginning, but as the years go by you would get used to it. Four years go by, the planet looms in the sky but is not much of a threat, so people have to go back to work, bring their kids to school and feed their dog. Life has to go on.

The paradigm shift takes place and the questions begin, who are these people on the planet? What is it like? Can we travel to them and meet them? But we also need to live our lives. John and Rhoda get intertwined in this very interesting romantic drama, where they have this beautiful romance, but its only beautiful in the present without any acknowledgment of the past [Rhoda caused a trauma against John]. To acknowledge the past is also to acknowledge themselves. They create this bubble that is magnificent and beautiful, but eventually it’s going to burst. So that drama, set against this night sky, that exterior world informs the interior world of our characters.

HollywoodChicago.com: There is a religious sensibility to the appearance of another plane of existence as depicted in your film. What do you think Another Earth has to say about the existence of a Godhead, or is it more about our own humanity?

Cahill: In this day and age, we’re feeling through art and culture that there is a spiritual awakening happening, a need to understand why we are here. I think a lot of filmmakers and story tellers are looking at these bigger questions and the confrontation of the self, right out of the Bible [“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”], that one day you will confront yourself. The judgment of Judgment Day will be how you line up from your own assessment, when you come face-to-face with self. All of the feelings are squeezed into the subconscious realm of the characters in the story.

Rhoda and John: Brit Marling and William Mapother in ‘Another Earth’ Photo credit: © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp

HollywoodChicago.com: What vulnerabilities made William Mapother right for John Burroughs. What quality did he bring that others you auditioned didn’t have?

Cahill: I saw many male leads that were not right and I was seeking something very specific. Our casting director brought up William, who I knew from “In the Bedroom” and “Lost.” It made such an impact on me. What William has is very precise. He has a very intimidating screen energy and gravitas, this intensity that can evoke fear. You see this in his previous roles. I thought that was wonderful, because I could harness this.

Yet at the same time he has such a warmth underneath that is rarely seen and rarely depicted in his roles. I could see it. John’s character arc goes from an intimidating, scary man that has fallen by the wayside to someone who has warmth and levity, but can snap at any moment. There is a fragility to that beauty, and William had that exact quality. He was perfect for the role.

HollywoodChicago.com: There are some big decisions in this film that the characters have to make. Do you feel they make these decisions based on the destiny they must pursue and experience?

Cahill: One of the beautiful aspects of Rhoda is that she makes choices based on that she is not a victim. It would be easy for her to say ‘woe is me’ or try to spread blame around. What is appealing about her as a character, and the choices she makes, is that she puts the entire burden of guilt on her shoulders. She doesn’t blame anyone else and has no self pity. I find that very admirable, she owns the disaster and tries to fix it, in a way she feels most noble. Sometimes her choices are difficult because it is about seeking forgiveness, or just simply trying to make John’s life better. Which one is more right or wrong? It isn’t about that sometimes. Those choices are the most interesting and the most real we face as human beings.

HollywoodChicago.com: Do you think the reaction to the film will be like a fingerprint? Do you expect each individual viewer to have a different reaction based on their experiences and backgrounds?

Cahill: I hope so, I do hope so. We premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, which was an unbelievable experience. People were crying, but crying with smiles on their faces. With all the Q&As after the screenings, I realize there are different takes on the film. That is beautiful. I didn’t include a reverse shot in the film’s conclusion because that moment is the audience’s moment, the reaction that they have is what matters. That was very purposefully done.

HollywoodChicago.com: How complex were you in regard to recreating a CNN-like news channel for one of the big announcements in the film? How careful were you about making sure it worked?

Cahill: That scene was a fun scene and very crucial scene. It is the midpoint of the film, and it is pivotal, a goose bump inducing moment. When Diane Ciesla [the actress who made the announcement] read it in rehearsal, when we filmed it, when I put it together, when I played it back…these were all goose bump moments. There was something very chilling and at the same time uplifting about the scene, because it goes to this primal place that we are not alone.

It was inspired by the moon landing, where the common person was not on the rocket, but watching it on TV. That was their connection, but the power of that connection was not lost by watching it on TV. There were stories of people after they watched the moon walk on television, would go outside and look at the moon. And even though they couldn’t see the actual craft from their perspective, there is the power of imagination and connection that puts them there.

Mike Cahill in Chicago, July 12, 2011 Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: Obviously there would be amazing introspection associated with an event as depicted in the film. Since you were immersed in it for so long, what do you feel would be the reaction of the average man or woman if such an occurrence were to happen in reality?

Cahill: There would be a surge in the beginning where it would disrupt everything, every field of study, every thought pattern, even what is taught in school. The military would be involved, for example.

We did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people as to what would happen. The fact that it happens fairly slowing, just like global warming, the alarm rate goes down a little bit. People go on with their lives. I think there would be this huge flag in the beginning, it’s the end of the world and all that, and then the rent would be due. Things would re-stabilize, history books would be re-written, but the main needs of eating, sleeping and shelter would have to be met. It’s like the world is believed to be flat, and now it is round, let’s absorb that and move on.

HollywoodChicago.com: Science has been under attack, underfunded and looked upon with suspicion of in our current culture. Since your film is based so much on looking to science for comfort in an uneasy time, do you think the science of now needs to do a better job marketing itself to calm our modern fears and superstitions?

Cahill: Absolutely. The Sloan Foundation, who has acknowledged this film, they are making a big effort to bring the world of science to the lay person. That is one of the most noble things you can do. What everyone needs to remember is that scientists are asking the same questions that all of us are asking. They are asking, ‘why are we here?’ They approach it with math, primarily, and we approach it in our everyday life. So we are all on the same mission. To bring more attention and marketing forces to science is vital. As a public, we need to support the sciences.

HollywoodChicago.com: You are challenging questions like ‘what is life?’ and ‘what is the meaning of existence?’ in this film. In your opinion, how important is it for an individual to pursue those questions? Can we live a full life without that pursuit?

Cahill: In my opinion, no. For me, I try to approach life like a philosopher. There is a deep yearning to explore these questions, but modern society tends to numb us so we never think about those questions. We have our favorite shows, our video games and our happy hour, just not think about it. We have a dual desire to be numbed and to know. But it’s scary to know. To living a meaningful life you have to ask the big questions. For me, the art that I create will always try to ask those big questions. Not to get answers all the time, but to get closer to them.

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com