Table of Contents
Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal's EUROPA opens on a future where clean water has run out, poisoned by pollution and human carelessness. Three astronauts land on Jupiter's moon Europa to extract a sample and prove the world can sustain life. But the mission's sole oceanographer, Yvette, has carried a lifelong bond with the ocean, and from the moment she arrives, something vast begins calling her name.
A DGA Award, Student-Emmy, and two-time Telly Award winner, Rosenthal shot the film at Sony Pictures on the Culver backlot, starring Derek Cecil and Megan West. It has already screened at NASA's Annual Summit and three Oscar-qualifying festivals. What makes EUROPA land is its quiet insistence that the greater themes stay "brimming beneath the surface. Like a hidden iceberg β you can't see it, but it's there."
Key Takeaways
- A studio/student hybrid shot on Sony's Stage 7, built with a virtual production pipeline and an art team of more than twenty.
- A Woman vs. Nature story that personifies the ocean, giving it breath and a voice to defend itself.
- Rosenthal's commitment to science fiction told "from the lens of truth" with strong female protagonists.
Rosenthal spoke about the film's origins, its scale, and the childhood memories buried at its core.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
That's a great question. I was wondering why we weren't having conversations about what the next phase of humanity will be? And better yet, who will be making the decisions for our children's children. If there is a limited water supply on Earth one day, what will we do? And who will be the ones deciding who gets the water β will it go to the 1%? Will there be a more democratic deliberation?
Our film touches on the mission, but I always wanted these greater themes to be brimming beneath the surface. Like a hidden iceberg β you can't see it, but it's there.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, creatively or logistically?
How amazing the first day would feel β getting to see the entire set built, with over 20 art team achieving something truly magical. They constructed an entire wood paneling on top of the set to assure that nothing would be damaged, and then painted the paneling and added textures and custom grooves and height.
The fact that we were able to achieve this on a student set is wild, and I really credit my Production Designers, Angran Li and Kristin Wang, my Set Designer, Fernando Acuna, our Constructionist, Christopher, our Art Directors, Cha and Cindy, and every single person who brought it to life.
And then seeing my actors with their space suits day of, walking around. It felt like pure movie magic. I don't think anything will measure up to those first breathless moments of calling "Action," and watching the three-camera monitor footage of being "on" Europa. Truly special.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
The flashbacks of the child on the beach.
My favorite memories from childhood were at the ocean in Carmel with my grandparents, collecting shells and looking out at the vastness of the ocean. I always admired its depths and always felt in awe of its connection to the moon and the spiritual essence of it.
It's nearly impossible to stand within the distance of ocean mist, hearing the lapping of waves, and not feel its calming presence.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
Having to kill your darlings in the edit. I worked with a fantastic editor, Vanessa Kao, and watched her expert decisions. After a while, when you work with an editor as good as Vanessa, you stop seeing the film you envisioned and you just begin enjoying what film you've melded into one, together.
With virtual production, you end up filming the entirety of the film in previs about four times before you actually step foot on set, meaning you have to have made a lot of editorial decisions before you shoot. Working like this, and being able to divorce yourself from what you initially created in an animatic and previs V-cam session, was a beautiful mix between structure and play once you step foot in the editing bay.
What tool, technique, resource, collaborator, or mindset shift helped most during production?
This production grew from a team of 5 to a team of over 1000 crew, vendors, partners, and supporters within the span of two months.
I think it showed me that, at the core, every production is the same. It's clear leadership, respecting your team, doing your best to honor the material, and staying true to the story. Some productions have more bells and whistles, but at the end of the day art is art. I've seen films in our block with much smaller budgets completely floor me with their artistry. A film is only as strong as the passion of its crew β and on this film, I got very lucky in that respect.
How does your film fit within, or push the boundaries of, its genre?
Our film was recently called the Man vs. Nature version of 2001: A Space Odyssey's Man vs. Technology theme. I also find it alluring that in our film it is actually Woman vs. Nature. We've seen this in Arrival and Alien, but what I appreciate about EUROPA is that we give the ocean a personification. We allow it to breathe and communicate, and that is something that adds an extra layer of complexity to the film. We often take nature for granted since it cannot speak to defend itself.
The movie is also very primitive in the relationship of the ocean assuming a guttural female voice, as if it represents Mother Nature β and we, the very creation spawning from it. As if the true film's essence is a mirror of our actions reflected back to us, as we see in the middle of the film when Yvette has a premonition of the doom she will bring to Europa in her reflection in the water, should her actions go unchecked.
What does it mean to have your film selected for HollyShorts, and where does it go next?
It is a true honor. It's empowering to be here with a sci-fi film, a genre that I got my start in and a genre that is a valuable tool to build alternate worlds that mirror our own.
Making this film has helped me double down in my commitment to this genre. I'd like to be a female Denis Villeneuve. We are in talks with studios and producers interested in the long-form version of EUROPA. As the IP-holder, I am always welcoming conversations.
Main Cast & Crew
- Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal β Writer-Director
- Derek Cecil β Cast
- Megan West β Cast
- Erik Weaver β Executive Producer
- Vanessa Kao β Editor
- Angran Li & Kristin Wang β Production Designers
- Fernando Acuna β Set Designer
- Cha & Cindy β Art Directors
- Christopher β Constructionist
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