The latest from Stéphane Lafleur (Tu dors Nicole) balances absurdist humour with poignant reflection on the human condition as it follows the subjects of behavioural research — and the astronauts they mirror — in advance of the first manned mission to Mars.
A behavioral research team observes and attempts to replicate the experiences of the first manned mission to Mars.
Packed with beautifully surreal images and mundane bits of interplanetary work routine — like the five astronauts piling onto a bus in full space gear, then shuffling off towards a Quonset hut where the organizer promptly loses his keys — Viking balances humour with profound poignancy, a longing for a sense of purpose.
It’s that rare kind of science fiction where gadgets and fantasy are overshadowed by the mysteries of the human psyche, and arguably Lafleur’s finest film to date.
