Into Eternity

"I am tempted to call Into Eternity the most interesting documentary, and one of the most disturbing films, of the year so far…"—A. O. Scott, New York Times

"Spectacular visuals, mind-boggling concepts. What more could you want from a movie?"—Chris Chang, Film Comment

Into Eternity is a mind-bending film that explores the utter impossibility of storing nuclear waste for 100,000 years, the time estimated by scientists to render it safe. It is, on the one hand, a documentary about the Onkalo storage facility of underground tunnels presently being hewn out of the bedrock in Finland, and on the other hand, a startlingly beautiful work of art and an urgent provocation that ponders the question of who—or what—will remain on this earth when that much time has elapsed.

Not only must the Onkalo facility last 10 times longer than any previous manmade construction, it must also be able to resist all thinkable climate changes, erosion, and evolution. The real challenge, however, is to secure the facility from human intrusion. But can we ensure that? How is it possible to warn future man of the waste we left behind? How do we prevent them from thinking they have found the pyramids of our time, mystical burial grounds, hidden treasures? Which languages and signs will they understand, and if they understand, will they respect our instructions? (75 mins., HD video)