Documentary director redefines astronaut Eileen Collins because the 'Spacewoman' (interview)

The dictionary defines “spacewoman” as merely “a lady astronaut.” Within the case of its newest utilization, although, the time period carries extra that means.

“Spacewoman,” a brand new documentary from Haviland Digital and Tigerlily Productions, tells the story of Eileen Collins, the US’ first feminine astronaut to pilot and command an area shuttle mission. The title appears apparent given its topic, nevertheless it was not one thing that Collins herself ever thought-about.

“The humorous factor about it’s, I might by no means have considered it,” mentioned Collins in an interview with collectSPACE.com. “At one level [during the making the film] I requested, ‘Did we provide you with a title?’ and Hannah mentioned, ‘Spacewoman.’ And it made me surprise why I do not consider it.”

Key artwork for the brand new documentary “Spacewoman” that includes Annie Leibovitz’s portrait of astronaut Eileen Collins. (Picture credit score: Spacewoman Movie)

For her half, director Hannah Berryman says it was the producers who got here up with the title, nevertheless it was an ideal match.

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“It simply caught,” she mentioned. “It was actually necessary to me that it [conveyed] it wasn’t simply that Eileen was a lady who went to area, however that she was the pilot and in command.”

For Collins, it was additionally about reaching a wider viewers.

“I feel it’ll attract some youthful viewers, and I really need highschool and faculty age individuals, women and men, to observe the movie, as a result of I feel it’ll assist them determine to sometime be a part of the area program, or that they may work within the area business,” mentioned Collins. “I like that it is easy, it is descriptive and it is thrilling. That’s the reason I’m pleased with it.”

three women and a man stand in a well-lit kitchen

Former astronaut Eileen Collins (left), her daughter Bridget Youngs, “Spacewoman” director Hannah Berryman and Pat Youngs, Collins’ husband. (Picture credit score: Hannah Berryman by way of Instagram)

collectSPACE spoke with Collins and Berryman forward of the world premiere of “Spacewoman” as a part of the annual Doc NYC movie pageant in New York Metropolis on Saturday (Nov. 16). Along with two in-person screenings with each its star and director in attendance, tickets can be found to observe the movie on-line from Sunday (Nov. 17) by way of Dec. 1.

This interview has been edited for size and readability.

collectSPACE (cS): The documentary is predicated partially in your autobiography written with Jonathan Ward, “By means of the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Lady to Command a House Mission,” as printed in 2021. The place did the concept of constructing the e-book into a movie originate?

Eileen Collins: Keith Haviland [of Haviland Digital]. He has made fairly a number of area movies. He produced “Mission Management: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo” and “The Final Man on the Moon.” He has additionally executed aviation documentaries, together with “Lancaster: Above and Past” and “Spitfire,” for instance.

He contacted my co-author, Jonathan Ward, the identical month that the e-book got here out. We had been however busy selling the e-book, so a 12 months glided by earlier than we actually began speaking about doing the movie.

cS: Hannah, with Eileen’s e-book to work with, how did you arrive on the method you adopted for the movie?

Hannah Berryman: In my movies, I’m thinking about exploring the emotional side of how we dwell our lives and the issues that we do. So instantly I knew that Eileen’s household story — her journey by way of it, from the approaching up that she needed to really being a lady going into area along with her family — I knew that may be central ot the movie. I additionally may inform that her closing mission [STS-114, NASA’s return to flight after the loss of space shuttle Columbia] was such a pivotal one and there was rather a lot in jeopardy.

So I assumed each tales would collide in that closing mission. We’d hear how every part performed out emotionally and bodily within the mission.

cS: The place did you supply the archival video and images you used within the movie?

Berryman: We had an archive researcher within the U.S. who makes a speciality of NASA, however we additionally had an awesome useful resource in Eileen and checked all of her archives on VHS after which DVD. Particularly necessary had been her residence movies, which I feel had been invaluable to telling her private story, the backdrop to all her public-facing footage.

Eileen was additionally given the mission highlights from every of her flights, together with the footage she and her crewmates shot.

So I feel we could not have have actually made the movie with out the combination of the footage that we had, and that is what we used.

a woman in a green sweater reads a manual aboard the space shuttle

Astronaut Eileen Collins seems to be over a guidelines on the commander’s station on the flight deck of area shuttle Columbia. (Picture credit score: NASA)

cS: “Superwoman” contains footage shot of video calls that you just, Eileen, had with your loved ones whereas in area. Was this the primary time you’ve shared these calls with the general public?

Collins: These are non-public, NASA by no means put these out. They’re referred to as household conferences. We solely bought them on flights when the mission was over a sure variety of days. My daughter was solely three and a half again then.

So I had the household convention movies from my third spaceflight, STS-93, and in addition from 114. Hannah repeatedly requested me for them. “We actually need it. We actually need it.” So I dug them out from a field someplace in a nook. It took me some time to seek out them.

cS: Astronauts Michael Foale, Cady Coleman and Charlie Camarda seem in “Spacewoman,” every having flown with Eileen. Was there an try to achieve out to different crew members?

Berryman: I haven’t got tons and many interviews within the movies I do, as a result of I need you to get to know the individuals who you see on display, who’re the supporting solid. So I solely actually wished to speak to 1 individual from every of Eileen’s 4 missions and Mike Foale, having flown on STS-63 and 84, lined the primary two.

With Cady, it was good to have one other lady colleague, and she or he was on Eileen’s first command mission. After which after we had been serious about who to have from STS-114 and Charlie got here up as somebody who Eileen had talked effectively about. He was candid and talker — you can hearken to him and be engaged, as with Mike and Cady.

So we did not go additional. We did not interview anybody else from these missions. We did have members of Mission Management with Wayne Hale and Paul Dye, and we had Marsha Dunn who as a journalist was protecting Eileen’s flights.

Collins: I’d add that I did contact my mission commanders; Jim Wetherbee was on 63 and Charlie Precourt on 84. In order that they each knew that the movie was being made.

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cS: Eileen, your son and daughter, in addition to your husband, are additionally interviewed. Is that this the primary time your youngsters have shared their recollections on digital camera?

Collins: For my son, sure. Now, he was 4 years previous once I flew my final mission, so Luke — that is his identify, Luke Youngs — he had a dim reminiscence of that point.

As for Bridget, the primary time being interviewed, it is powerful. It is powerful to be on digital camera. I advised her I assumed she did a very good job and was genuine, which is what issues.

cS: The subject of worry comes up a number of instances through the documentary. Eileen, why do you assume it is tough for the general public to know how you can not expertise worry when launching or coming back from area?

Collins: I inform individuals worry is regular, it is human and all people has it. The best way you conquer it’s by studying every part about what you’re afraid of.

I realized concerning the area shuttle technically, in addition to I bought to know the those who labored on the shuttle, everybody from the technicians that put their fingers on the gear to the engineers. I feel as a pacesetter, it was additionally crucial for me to offer confidence, not solely to my crew, however to my household.

For instance, after the Columbia accident, I stayed totally engaged in no matter was occurring with the return flight points in addition to the accident investigation. Staying totally engaged on that’s what gave me the boldness and the dedication to say, sure, it is protected. It is now time to go.

If I had any worry, I might have mentioned, no, we’re not prepared but. Let’s go repair this explicit difficulty that I am involved about. And I would not have gone until they answered any considerations that I had.

Berryman: That’s the superb factor about Eileen that I hope comes throughout within the movie: She realized that, at the same time as a toddler, you’ll be able to’t management every part. So you are concerned concerning the issues you’ll be able to management and the others, you simply must get on with. That’s what was superb concerning the presence of thoughts Eileen has.

Eileen was an enormous a part of a brand new step for girls. And for somebody like herself, from her background, to beat what she did and all of her household to return by way of it in such a tremendous method, I hope individuals come away from “Spacewoman” impressed.

Collins: Astronauts are people. We’re common individuals. We have now households. We have now points occurring in our lives, much like what different individuals have. I feel the best way that Hannah did the film exhibits that we all know we’re not simply robots. We’re not excellent specimens. You realize, now we have a human aspect to us and I feel that’s one thing that comes throughout when watching the movie.