‘Spaceship Earth’ is a perfect documentary for these times

Film centers on Biosphere 2 dome in Arizona, in which 8 people lived in isolation for 2 years.

In 1991, a group of eight people sealed themselves inside a giant dome in Oracle, Arizona, where they attempted to live in complete isolation for two years.

It’s the stranger-than-fiction premise of the riveting new documentary “Spaceship Earth” (now streaming on Hulu, playing in drive-in theaters and available to rent on platforms). Distributed by Neon (“Parasite,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”), the film traces the origins and outcome of the largely forgotten Biosphere 2 experiment.

The mission was to see if people could create a completely self-sustaining ecosystem indoors without access to outside water, food or oxygen, a feat that its backers hoped could one day be replicated for long-term survival on the moon or Mars.

The controversial project was roundly criticized by the media and scientific community as a cult: It was conceived by an experimental theater troupe from San Francisco and led by a charismatic artist and inventor named John Allen. And although eight people managed to live inside Biosphere 2 for the full twoyear plan, its scientific relevance has been contested.

Still, we couldn’t help but sympathize with these intrepid individuals, whose utopian vision of a self-contained world has uncanny parallels to the reality many people are facing during the coronavirus pandemic as we self-isolate.

A few of the ways that “Spaceship Earth” hit a little too close to home:

1. They found creative ways to use bananas

If you’ve been on social media at all in the past couple months, you’ve probably scrolled through dozens of pictures of friends’ homemade banana bread, which has enjoyed a resurgence as the easy go-to recipe of quarantine. Turns out, bananas were similarly popular in Biosphere 2.

2. They got tired of eating the same things every day

Do you ever find yourself just staring in your cupboard, wondering what you can possibly make with all the beans, peanut butter and Cup Noodles you stocked up on before quarantine? While we have the option to make occasional trips to the grocery store, the biospherians were forced to eat only what they could produce within their 3-acre terrarium. Many plants died over time, leaving them with limited food options.

3. They could only talk to loved ones through windows, phones

With the intense media attention and curiosity around the experiment, many onlookers traveled to the steel-and-glass enclosure just to peek inside – eventually leading Biosphere 2 to open a visitors center. In one moving scene, the project’s CEO Margaret Augustine, who lived outside the dome, discusses her deep fondness for the biospherians, smiling and talking to one participant over the phone as he touches the glass. The moment resonates with any of us who have been forced to visit friends and family from a safe social distance.

4. Exercise (and dancing) was vital to blow off steam

One of the many mind-blowing things about Biosphere 2 is that multiple biomes – a desert, a rainforest and an ocean with a coral reef – co-existed under one roof. This meant plenty of places to practice fitness, whether going for a swim or running around the perimeter of the building. And when they needed to boost their spirits, the resident would throw dance parties.