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Fire in the Sky

Northern Lights have fascinated people for millennia. Recent research is about to solve many of the mysteries related to the Northern Lights. Fire in the Sky, the new documentary film, reveals how researchers have gained new insight into the impact of Northern Lights on infrastructure and animal behavior.
The documentary explains why solar storms can be a danger to humanity. At worst, they can damage satellites, stop air traffic, and paralyze power grids and telecommunications networks.

  • Simo Sipola
    Director
    B-Boy, Mexican Murder Story
  • Simo Sipola
    Writer
    B-Boy, Mexican Murder Story
  • Ari Lehikoinen
    Producer
    B-Boy, Mexican Murder Story, Cinema Dadaab, For Kibera!
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Revontulien armoilla
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    52 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 24, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    250,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Finland
  • Country of Filming:
    Finland, Germany, Norway, United States
  • Language:
    English, Finnish, German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE
    Country: Finland
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Simo Sipola

Mr. Simo Sipola entered filmmaking through journalism. He spent almost 20 years doing investigative journalism and news reporting before dedicating himself into documentary filmmaking. He has directed over a dozen documentary films, among them four scientific documentaries.
Simo’s films have been shown in over 20 countries worldwide, and in festivals in Europe and Latin America. He has received several awards for his work as investigative journalist. In 2000 he was granted the most prestigious literary award for non-fiction in Finland.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Before making this film, Fire in the Sky, my relationship to the Northern Lights was mostly emotional. Since my childhood I've adored their magic appearance.
This changed somewhat when I came up with the idea for Fire in the Sky. I embarked on a journey which opened up a whole new world for me. It started with a modest beginning: I wanted to find out how the Northern Lights were born.
Before I knew it, I was studying space physics and atmospheric chemistry in order to understand what the researchers I met were talking about.
The result of my journey can be seen in the film. The journey changed thoroughly my view of the Sun and of our relationship with the Sun. However, one thing remained unchanged: I still admire the Northern Lights the way I used to when I was a kid.