Educational Media Reviews Online

This inspiring work is devoted to the perils and drive to accomplish the world's first solar-powered flight around the world, with no noise and no pollution. The pilot and co-founder of the project succinctly stated that this was “...not to transport passengers, but to transport a message.”

The film does not dispense jargon-heavy science and speaks to the audience in layman's terms. Any discussion of power cells or plane design is done so in the context of risk and problem-solving. Instead, the filmmakers promote the desperation with controlled ambition. The narrative successfully interweaves the message of environmental concern with the slim margin for success, as any turbulence would have torn the plane apart. The film makers wisely showed the flight path of the plane using a graphic of a rotating globe. This gives the audience a concrete grasp of the monumental mission.

Stylistically, this work is simply breath taking. The film is replete with near-silent shots of the plane over mountain ranges, deep blue waters and even high above the Egyptian pyramids. It keeps from overstating its environmental implications and lets the actions of the flight speak for themselves.

This work can best be categorized as an inspirational work, rather than one of science. The film does, however, end rather abruptly. The audience witnesses the plan land, but there is no offering of the reception, impacts, or plans for the future. Nevertheless, it stands as a testament of inspiration and goal setting, and the very essence of human drive for achievement.

Published and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Anyone can use these reviews, so long as they comply with the terms of the license.