Advance word on Nicolas Steiner‘s Above and Below has been largely enthusiastic, which is all the more pleasing once one becomes intrigued by its premise. Part-documentary and part-sci-fi, it tracks Las Vegas’ homeless citizens, a man living in an abandoned military bunker, and at various points goes “to a place where Mars and Earth have become one and the same place.”
The what, how, and why of this approach won’t be expanded upon a great deal in the preview, instead teased with a series of images that range from more traditionally “documentary-like” to abstract and, given the nature of what’s displayed therein, staged. Regardless of specifics that may or may not be available at this very moment, signs point towards Above and Below proving a shocking experience.
See the trailer below:
Synopsis:
This not-quite-documentary takes place far away and out of sight, on the margins and off the grid of American society. It tells the stories of April, Dave, Cindy, Rick and a man who calls himself ‘the Godfather.’ From a couple scraping by in the depths of the flood channels located beneath Sin City, to a man living in a reclaimed military bunker in the middle of the dusty California desert, and beyond even the stratosphere, to a place where Mars and Earth have become one and the same place, this motley crew of individuals have been flung into periling circumstances on this rollercoaster ride called life. Through the hustle, pain, and laughter, we are whisked away to an unfamiliar world whose inhabitants are revealed to be souls not unlike our very own.
Above and Below will enter a limited release on April 15.