Close Encounters
Throughout history, countless people have reported mysterious lights and other unexplained phenomena in the sky. Others who claim to have been abducted by these unidentified craft share eerily similar stories of close encounters with the aliens who inhabit them. Government officials and skeptics have long questioned the veracity of these stories, but their efforts have not dispelled the widespread belief that we have been visited by intelligent life forms from worlds far beyond our own. The compelling documentary Close Encounters questions the possibility of these claims through the prism of scientific reasoning.
The film builds on its premise by talking to either direct participants or marginalized students of three of history’s most notorious UFO sightings.
In the winter of 1980, inexplicable blobs of light moved across the sky near a US Air Force base outside Suffolk, England. Several soldiers in the area witnessed these mysterious performances. The incident, known as the Rendlesham Forest incident, sparked equal parts suspicion and outcry over the government cover-up.
Nearly two decades later, a similar sighting occurred in Arizona, when thousands of bystanders described a triangular light moving along their state line with Mexico. Some even testified about seeing the V-shaped spacecraft in flight, including the state’s governor.
Finally, the documentary looks at the granddaddy of all so-called UFO sightings: Roswell. The government’s acknowledgment of a misinformation campaign in the wake of the incident — carried out for national security purposes at the height of the Cold War — only strengthened the conviction of those who thought they were not alone.
In addition to these fascinating case studies, the film showcases an impressive roster of knowledgeable interviewees, including theoretical physics professor Dr. Michio Kaku, who raises the possibility of extraterrestrial visitation. Is it scientifically feasible for alien life forms to trek to our planet? What kind of spacecraft would make such time travel possible? How likely are aliens to survive in our unique environment? The truth is out, and many of the answers in Close Encounters may surprise you.
