Solaris (1972) & Europa Report (2013): Searching the Unknown | EP04
- Mar 12, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 9
In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we continue our journey through the space subgenre by looking at two films that explore one of the most fascinating aspects of space travel: the unknown.
First we dive into Solaris (1972), Andrei Tarkovsky’s philosophical science-fiction classic about a mysterious alien intelligence orbiting a distant planet.
Then we jump forward to Europa Report (2013), a modern sci-fi film that follows a crew of astronauts on a dangerous mission to investigate signs of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Together these films explore how science fiction imagines humanity confronting something truly alien in the depths of space.
Because here on Journey Through Sci-Fi, we explore the history of science-fiction cinema one subgenre at a time.
Listen to the full episode below:
What We Discuss In This Episode
In this episode we talk about:
• The philosophical themes at the heart of Solaris
• How space sci-fi explores the limits of human understanding
• The influence of Soviet science fiction cinema
• How Europa Report presents a realistic modern space mission
• Why the search for extraterrestrial life is such a powerful sci-fi idea
Solaris (1972) – Confronting the Unknown
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, Solaris is one of the most thought-provoking science-fiction films ever made.
The story follows psychologist Kris Kelvin, who travels to a research station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris. The planet appears to possess a strange intelligence capable of manifesting physical forms drawn from the memories of the astronauts studying it.
Rather than focusing on action or spectacle, the film explores deeper questions about memory, guilt and the limits of human knowledge when confronted with something truly alien.
Europa Report (2013) – The Search for Life Beyond Earth
More than forty years later, Europa Report presents a very different but equally compelling vision of deep space exploration.
The film follows a team of international astronauts on a privately funded mission to Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, which scientists believe may contain an ocean beneath its icy surface.
Presented in a found-footage documentary style, the film emphasises scientific realism and the dangers of long-distance space missions.
It also taps into one of the biggest questions in both science and science fiction:
Could life exist elsewhere in our solar system?
Space as the Ultimate Unknown
Together, Solaris and Europa Report show how the space genre often moves beyond simple adventure stories.
Both films explore the idea that space is not just physically dangerous — it’s also philosophically unsettling, forcing humanity to confront the possibility that we may not fully understand the universe we inhabit.
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About Journey Through Sci-Fi
Journey Through Sci-Fi is a podcast exploring the strange, visionary and world-changing history of science-fiction cinema.
Each series focuses on a different sci-fi subgenre, examining the films and ideas that shaped the genre - from classic cinema to modern science-fiction storytelling
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