A Planet Painted by Hand – Films

Martí Madaula
Spain, France, Germany, United States | 2026 | 18 min
World premiere
Language : Catalan
Subtitles : English, French

In the desert of the American southwest, scientists are simulating the colonisation of Mars. They follow protocols, record data and live according to precise schedules. During their breaks, day-to-day life takes on the appearance of a strange science fiction. How do we imagine life on a planet we've never set foot on?

Through an artistic exploration of sites where the possibility of human life on other planets is studied, filmmaker Martí Madaula Esquirol (The Living Wardrobe, VdR 2024) begins a correspondence with Núria Jar, a Catalan scientist on a mission at the Mars Desert Research Station. Located in the southwestern desert of the United States, it simulates the colonisation of Mars. From there, she sends him round, porthole-shaped views taken from the centre’s windows, revealing desert landscapes, arid terrain, ochre rocks and a complete absence of vegetation. People clad in astronaut suits pass by. The off-screen voices talk about dairy intolerance or hair washing. The clatter of cutlery suggests that a table is being set. Everyday life here plays out like a weird science fiction. Between the film project and the documented mission runs the thread of a “planet painted by hand” that explores our capacity to use images to spark our imagination and dream of other possible worlds, in contrast to the extractive projects usually associated with space conquest.

Mourad-Anis Moussa

A Planet Painted by Hand, 2026
Tramuntana, 2025
The Living Wardrobe, 2024