NICOSIA
by Emma Cochet
This research explores the psychological effects of isolation in a Mars simulation, examining how extreme environments shape behaviour and relationships. Set in Dungeness, it considers confinement, remoteness, and ecological fragility in planetary colonisation.
Film Logline: In a near-future United Kingdom, a young woman is sent unexpectedly to a Mars simulation experiment in remote Dungeness. Isolated underground with three strangers, she forms a silent, paternal connection with the man observing her 24/7 through the CCTV cameras – while her partner back home struggles with their sudden separation.
In the remote, windswept landscape of Dungeness, UK, an underground Mars simulation experiment is underway. Scientists are testing how humans might survive the Red Planet conditions. The UK Space Agency and Department for Mars Exploration collect data and research on the psychological effects of extreme isolation. Cut off from the outside world, participants experience the emotional weight of confinement, monotony, and adaptation to a different timescale - mirroring what future settlers may face millions of kilometres from Earth.
This mission unfolds during a new space race, with NASA, ESA and private companies competing for influence beyond our atmosphere. National pride and economic ambition fuel rapid development, but also deepen political tensions. Space, once a symbol of unity, is becoming a stage for growing conflict.
At the same time, Earth pays a price. Dungeness, a rare and fragile coastal ecosystem and desert, is reshaped to simulate an extra-terrestrial landscape. As we prepare and train to discover a new planet, we alter the one we already call home. The simulation forces a deeper reflection: are we chasing new worlds at the cost of our own?