"We don't need other worlds, we need mirrors" – Solaris, 1972

What does it mean to confront the boundaries of human agency and comprehension? Stanislav Lem asked this question in several of of his philosophical science fiction explorations, for instance in Peace on Earth, His Master's Voice, The Futurulogical Congress, and Fiasco. In "Solaris", his most poetical book, humanity is confronted with a thinking planet. Is our civilization on track of being confronted with a planetary consciousness of our own making? What is the purpose of human sense making in a world controlled by agency far above the human level?

Andrei Tarkovsky's adaptation of "Solaris" (1972) focuses less on Lem's philosophical quest of understanding superhuman and non human intelligence, and instead puts human experience itself into the petri dish. Join us to watch and discuss one of the most haunting and thoughtful science fiction movies ever made.