Informative, entertaining & breathtaking, The Farthest chronicles the history of the Voyager program & its dual space probes, a mission that was undertaken to study the outer planets of our solar system & the space beyond but has become an enduring legacy of mankind in the infinite realm of the universe that will live on as our remnant even after our species, our planet & our star is long gone.
Written & directed by Emer Reynolds, this documentary is narrated in a way that piques our curiosity & intrigues our ever-inquisitive mind, and covers the journey of Voyager 1 & 2 through the recollections from the crew responsible for making the mission an extraordinary success. Employing interviews, archive footage, CGI simulations & some of the breathtaking images these probes took, the film really acquaints the viewers with the wonders of space & importance of its exploration.
The documentary goes into detail with how this mission came to be, the golden record & its significance, the close-calls it survived and how the probes continue to defy expectations even today, becoming the first man-made objects to leave solar system & enter interstellar space. From Jupiter to Neptune, each planet & their moons are explored in fine detail. And the film not only looks at it from a scientific viewpoint but also offers a philosophical perspective. And it's accessible throughout.
Overall, The Farthest is amongst the most fascinating documentaries about space exploration and is one illuminating ride that aptly reflects the passion, intimacy & enthusiasm of the crew behind the Voyager program. Their testimonies lend solid weight & emotional depth to these scientific instruments, plus the fact that these space probes are most likely to outlive its inventors makes them a valid contender for humankind's greatest achievement. My only gripe is that it's only 2 hours long, for I didn't want this mesmerising journey to end. In short, a humbling experience.
