Los Angeles, CA – Random Media has acquired all North American rights for acclaimed Danish documentarian Michael Madsen’s latest film, The Visit. The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where Madsen was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in World Cinema – Documentary. Since then, The Visit has gone on to a number of screenings, at festivals from Switzerland to Istanbul.
Described as a “speculative documentary” by Twitch, The Visit has been hailed as “realistic, contemplative and surprisingly credulous” by The Hollywood Reporter. Variety said, “it is likely to engross anyone intrigued by the topic” of extraterrestrial contact.
Ever since the invention of radio and television, humans have been sending signals into outer space, announcing their existence to other civilizations. The Visit documents humanity’s first encounter with intelligent life from another world. Madsen interviews experts who work for little-known departments and agencies inside NASA, the United Nations, SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, and others who are responsible for preparing for actual alien contact.
Based on his interviews with these scenario planners Madsen constructs a chillingly believable scenario of first contact on Earth. Simple questions are asked: “Why are you here? How do you think? What do you see in humans that we don’t see in ourselves?” Implications unfold within a mind-bending landscape of everyday sights and sounds that are turned bizarre and extraordinary, as if seen through the eyes of a life form exploring our planet and societies for the first time.
The Visit takes viewers on a journey beyond their normal terrestrial perspective, revealing the fears, hopes, and rituals of our species when we are forced to confront alien life forms that may or may not view us as a threat.
Random Media SVP, Acquisitions Bobby Rock negotiated the deal with Linzee Troubh, Head of Sales at Cinetic Media, and Salma Abdalla, Managing Director of Autlook Films, on behalf of the filmmakers. A theatrical release is planned for the autumn.