FIRE IN THE SKY Film Review — A Mesmerizing and Mysterious Phenomenon

Posted on by Cameron McKeon

Shades of green, blue, purple, and pink dance in the sky. The streaks glide through the air, compressing and contracting in its dazzling yet eerie luminescence. The ordinary onlooker stands perplexed, eyes wide, mouth agape at the magnificent phenomenon known as the Northern Lights. Such a particular, mind-boggling occurrence naturally begs the questions how and why. More inquisitive and attentive minds ask the more daunting questions: What are its repercussions?

Fire in the Sky looks to answer these questions. Dominated by breathtaking visuals, the film navigates a few of the numerous mysteries surrounding the Northern Lights, such as whether or not they emit noise, the phenomenon’s potentially detrimental impact on animals, and the science behind solar storms.

“At the moment, we’re not able to predict that tomorrow there will be an event affecting the infrastructure [of the Earth] and we need to prepare. But we’re getting there.”

Stellar visuals of the snowy, Christmas village-esque Scandinavian landscape are illuminated by the flowing Northern Lights. Narrated in Norwegian, the contrast between the fascinating cinematography and at times distressing dialogue make for a thought-provoking viewer experience.

FIRE IN THE SKY Investigates the Worrisome Impacts of the Northern Light

Solar storms contribute to the beauty of the Northern Lights, but if directed towards Earth, the effects can be detrimental. Fire in the Sky clarifies this message, detailing the ramifications of the Carrington storm in 1859. Telegraph offices burst into flames, wires began sparking, magnetic needles lost control. Fast forward a couple centuries to 2012, a year in which Earth narrowly avoided disaster, and we see a graphic displaying a massive, stray sun storm rotating and spreading in the opposite direction of Earth. It was simply by random chance the storm missed Earth, sparing an unprecedented catastrophe.

The film closely follows the research of Minna Palmroth, a professor at the University of Helsinki. Heading the space physics research team, Palmroth is working to produce Vlasiator, a model to replace the satellites retrieving information on solar storms and the Northern Lights. The team’s research could provide breakthroughs in the field.

“If we rely on satellites only, we merely get data from the past. If we have a model capable of solving equations beforehand, we can get a prediction, just like a weather forecast on Earth.”

Fire in the Sky appeals to multiple audiences. Anyone who loves science and space would be invested in this film, as its commentary is centered around the experimental developments linked to the Northern Lights. Those appealed to marvelous cinematography would find this documentary satisfactory. While most people only associate the Northern Lights with beauty, the film’s directive to dive deeper into the actual consequences of the phenomenon makes it all the more compelling.

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CREATIVE TEAM:

Director and Writer: Simo Sipola
Directors of Photography: Hannu Kettunen, Jouni Soikkeli
Editor: Antti Isoaho
Original Score: Jimi Tenor

To watch this film, visit the MHz Choice webpage.

Images courtesy of MHz Networks

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