Proxima

Sarah is a French astronaut training at the European Space Agency in Cologne. She lives with her seven-year-old daughter Stella and is the only woman in the demanding programme. When Sarah is selected for a year-long mission called Proxima, a lifelong ambition suddenly becomes reality. But as the launch approaches, the prospect of leaving Stella behind puts increasing strain on their relationship. Alice Winocour follows Sarah through the demanding physical and psychological preparations for spaceflight. While she must prove herself alongside her male colleagues, the approaching separation from Stella becomes a challenge for which no training can prepare her. Eva Green stars alongside Matt Dillon, Lars Eidinger and Sandra Hüller. Filmed partly at the ESA in Cologne as well as in Russia and Kazakhstan, PROXIMA grounds its mother-daughter story in the realities of astronaut training. The film had its world premiere in the Platform section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival before competing at the San Sebastián Film Festival, where Alice Winocour received the Special Jury Prize.