2020
“The Prophet and The Space Aliens" follows Rael, who after an alleged encounter with extraterrestrials - that appointed him the "last prophet" - became the founder and leader of the world’s biggest UFO religion.
What is the difference between a cult and a religion? Why is it easier for us to accept the story of a man who talked to a burning bush than it is to accept the story of a man who received a prophecy from extraterrestrials? Had there been documentaries about celebrated prophets made during their lifetimes, what kinds of uncomfortable secrets would’ve been revealed?
Upon receiving a mysterious invitation, award-winning director Yoav Shamir recruits one of the world’s leading historians of religion, Prof. Daniel Boyarin, as his mentor and sets off on a thought-provoking, humorous quest that takes Shamir from Rael’s beautiful home in Okinawa to his sleepy hometown in France; from the Raelians’ “pleasure hospital” in Burkina Faso to the growing Raelian communities in Asia, Europe and North America.
The story of this modern day prophet and his ambitious attempts to venture into new territories in search of loyal followers, sheds light on the many themes and questions that religion and faith lay bare.
Press
‘The Prophet And The Space Aliens’: Thessaloniki Review
Screen Daily | May 2020
A study of religion and true believers, The Prophet And The Space Aliens takes a thoughtful approach to what could potentially be a satiric premise, in which a documentary filmmaker spends time with a self-styled spiritual leader who insists that humanity was created by aliens.
Fantasia Festival Review: The Prophet and the Space Aliens
Backseat Mafia | August 2020
Raëlism is a UFO-based religion which was formed by a French journalist Claude Vorilhon, aka Raël, in the 1970s. It was founded after a visitation from a species of aliens, called the Elohim, who imparted their knowledge upon him.
