Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival: Spacewoman
Spacewoman tells the story of Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a Space Shuttle mission, chronicling her stratospheric rise from humble origins to her fateful final mission, NASA’s 2005 “return to flight” mission following 2003’s Columbia disaster.
Spacewoman’s runtime is pretty brisk as documentaries go – clocking in at just under 100 minutes – but it manages to fit an impressive amount of Collins’s storied career into this runtime, depicting her life in great detail along several fascinating thematic axes. This impressive pacing is accomplished in large part by a clear focus on the four missions that defined Collins’s time at NASA – while this does mean that some of the earlier years get breezed through a little quickly, the film also makes sure to circle back to them throughout, painting a comprehensive but streamlined picture.
There’s a decent mix of present-day interviews and archival footage, showing how society has changed since Collins’s trailblazing heyday and immersing its audience in the complex trajectory of her life.
Many interesting discussion points are examined throughout the documentary – the dangers of space travel, the inner workings of Mission Control and the cultural obstacles created by misogyny, to name a few – but perhaps the most compelling narrative thread of the piece is that of family. Collins came from a troubled background, and although she overcame great strife to accomplish great things, there’s a sense that the trauma of her past lingers in her relationships with her own family.
The tension between Eileen-the-astronaut, Eileen-the-person and Eileen-the-symbol is at the core of the documentary’s narrative, which particularly comes through in interviews with her daughter Bridget, who was very young when Eileen went on her missions, with the tragic shadows of the Challenger and Columbia disasters looming over them. This exploration thoughtfully and carefully adds extra dimensions of humanity and complexity to this incredible story, grounding the piece and recontextualising Collins’ accomplishments without diminishing them – or her.
Overall, Spacewoman is a fitting tribute to an important figure, covering a lot of ground in a short space of time to create an affecting cinematic experience that never neglects the beating heart at its core, even as it grapples with the long arc of history. While its subject matter might be out of this world, it’s a testament to the universal human experience – to love, loss and the indomitable human spirit.
Umar Ali
Spacewoman does not have a release date yet.
Watch the trailer for Spacewoman here:
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