"Solarmax" is a new giant screen 15/70 film which John Weiley has now completed
directing and producing through his company JAVA Films Pty Ltd.
The Museum of Science and
Industry, Chicago USA is the Executive Producer and Distributor.
The subject of the film is humankind's struggle to understand the sun and the
sun-earth relationship - from the earliest times to the present day.
Structurally the film will trace the ascent of humankind as expressed by our
developing
understanding of the sun - and through it, our universe. The underlying theme of the
film is the triumph of knowledge over ignorance - of light over darkness.
The sun is the only star that we can study directly but it is so completely
ubiquitous, so intrinsic to life and culture, that we are effectively blind to it.
It's time for a new look.
Just as the telescope made the universe conceivable so new satellite borne
instruments are allowing us to look at a sun that we have never seen before.
For the first time we really can study a star in full spate as it builds up to its
peak of violence - the solar maximum.
How we began...
Some of the most elusive and awesome solar phenomena were captured on
15/70 film - a spectacular auroral display near the north pole, a total eclipse of
the sun over Aruba in the Carribean, solstice alignments at ancient observatories in
South America. Other solar events of significance were be filmed as they occured -
winter solstice at neolithic temples in Europe, the 'midnight sun' circling the
arctic sky in mid summer; sun worshipping ceremonies and festivals.
Spectacular and unprecedented close up satellite images of the sun have been decoded
and transferred to 15/70 film for the giant screen and we were there for the record
breaking flight of the Pathfinder solar powered aircraft when it soared to 80,400 ft
over the island of Kauai.
