Shifting Baselines

Boca Chica Village, Texas, lies at the mouth of the Rio Grande, where the dunes are inhabited by rare marine seabirds and a few remaining wild ocelots. The sound of the waves marks life’s rhythm, but the natural landscape has undergone irreparable change since the area has become a key location for the US space program, both public (NASA) and private (SpaceX). In the name of exploration of the last frontier, the public beaches are now closed, the wetlands drained, and the fauna and flora different from before. By counterposing technological ambition to conquer the galaxy against progressive degradation of the environment, the film director raises the question of whether we are witnessing a vision of the future or shear folly ultimately leading to the final end.