The SGL Mission - Eye of the Sun

LOGLINE

A short documentary exploring the process and the man behind the quest to prove that life exists outside of our own planet—all while he faces obstacles that could end the mission before it truly begins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The Solar Gravitational Lens Mission documentary, otherwise known as Eye of the Sun, is a documentary about Dr. Slava Turyshev, a leading NASA scientist, his efforts to make the SGL project a reality, and his goal of using human ingenuity to find life on other planets. From looking into the night sky as a child to the challenges of cutting edge research to the selfless act of passing the torch to younger generations, this film is an inspirational look into one man's quest for the future.  

WHO IS DR. SLAVA TURYSHEV?

Slava G. Turyshev is a Russian physicist who works at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). He is well-known for his study of the Pioneer anomaly, which directly influenced the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecrafts. He also has conducted multiple workshops with the International Space Science Institute and was the principal investigator of the LATOR mission. In 2020, Dr. Turyshev proposed his SGL idea, which was selected for the Phase III of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts. He currently lives in Glendale and spends much of his time teaching younger generations about physics, cosmology, and engineering for space.

Dr. Slava Turyshev

WHAT IS SGL & WHY DOES IT MATTER?

The first photograph of Earth as a whole (known as "The Blue Marble") was taken on December 7, 1972, and shook the world as it was the first time that we could see our planet with clear precision. Now, imagine if we could do that again, but this time for exoplanets many lightyears away. The SGL aims to do this—by placing a telescope at the focal point of the sun, it's possible to convert the ring of light around the star into an image, one that can see far into space with very high resolution. If we can see that far out, then imagine what we can learn about the presence of life in our universe.

Diagram of SGL

STORY BREAKDOWN

ACT I will focus on Dr. Turyshev's childhood and dream of being able to see life on other planets. This section will explore how he became who he is today and the circumstances that led him to the Solar Gravitational Lens Project. There will also be an emphasis on what the project is, why it matters for all of humanity, and most direly, how it is under threat from a lack of funding. 

ACT II centers on the problems that he has and will face in making SGL a reality. Given the time that interstellar travel takes, it's likely that he won't live long enough to see the results. This section emphasizes the selflessness of his work and his efforts to motivate the youth to continue with the mission. 

ACT III brings everything together by showing the steps and actions that the SGL team is doing to make the mission effective. This section will also feature multiple interviews with well-renowned scientists and science communicators.

FUNDRAISING

The fundraising goal is to reach $4,500. These funds will all directly go to permits for filming locations (USC, JPL, UCLA, L'Garde, etc.), transportation to these locations, equipment (including sound gear and hard drives for our footage), archive materials not under fair use policy, film festival submission fees, and so forth.

INSTAGRAM 

To keep up to date on all things Eye of the Sun related, follow us at EyeoftheSunFilm on Instagram.

THE CREW

Co-Director & Cinematographer: David Imani // Co-Director & Editor: Celena Hamati // Producer: Jessie Gonzales // Sound: JP Garcia // Editor: Jessica Santiago 

*For specific questions regarding donations, please contact us through the following emails: (1) david.imani.194@my.csun.edu, (2) celena.hamati.701@my.csun.edu, and (3) jessie.gonzales.342@my.csun.edu. 

CLOSING

Thanks for learning about and donating to our documentary! This project is a collaboration between multiple departments and schools (CSUN Documentary Students, CSUN Music Students, CSUN Emerging Media Students, USC Marketing Team, etc.) and our hope is to turn that collaboration into an inspirational and informative short documentary. Every dollar that you give goes towards this purpose, so please consider donating towards our film. Thanks!