Database Film and the Terrestrial Imaginary

The intertwined development of imagination and scientific space exploration accelerated in the twentieth century, reshaping our understanding of the universe, our place in it, and the Earth. The eclipse of imagination from scientific knowledge of Earth, however, leads to a problem of totality in the terrestrial imaginary. Critically approaching the ontological problem, we focus on the trope of space–Earth documentaries that contribute to the evolving imaginary of Earth, seen from outer space. These productions use audiovisual material from space archives and databases while rendering it with specific cinematic aesthetics. We examine the interfaces of various Earth observation databases and the documentary Beyond: Ode to the Earth (2024), directed by Dutch astronaut André Kuipers, which features ESA footage of Earth—much of it shot by himself from the International Space Station in 2011–2012. We analyze Beyond as a “database film,” a concept embodied in former cinematic contributions to the terrestrial imaginary such as Powers of Ten and Koyaanisqatsi. By highlighting Beyond’s acknowledgement of image production, we argue that the film renders Earth an emblem for imagination. Ultimately, as a database film, Beyond exposes viewers to the illusion of totality in the terrestrial imaginary through the medium specificity of cinema.