US Consulate in Chennai organises a screening of Native American astronaut’s experience in space

Astronaut John Herrington
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Shot in the scenic landscapes of USA, Into Nature’s Wild features astronaut John Herrington, pilot Ariel Tweto and long-distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis who undertake a journey to the wilds of Alaska, the lush coastline of Oregon, the ancient canyons of the Southwest and the rolling hills of the Appalachian Trail. Add to it, Morgan Freeman’s baritone voice-over that moves with the silences, echoes with the reflections and runs with the galloping horses.

Keeping in perspective the beeline for acquiring US tourist visas (B2), the film, which was recently screened at PVR, Express Avenue, is a tool to promote travel and open dialogue between travel agents and the consulate — spotlighting progress made to clear the queues. Carlton Benson, non immigrant visa chief of the US Consulate in Chennai clarified, “Two months ago we have brought the 900 plus days waiting time to 600 days and right now we have brought it down to 300 days.”

The screening was followed by a fireside chat at Taj Coromandel which was attended by US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin.

A tumbler of filter coffee sits on John’s table at the Taj Coromandel. As its aroma wafts in the air, we engage in an animated conversation The first Native American astronaut to go to space in 2002, John says he grew up in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. “That type of scenery is what my heart gets drawn to,” he adds, as he sips his coffee.  

Now living in Montana, he belongs to the Chickasaw tribe (a federally recognised tribe). “My tribe was from the South Eastern part of the United States. The movie talks about the fact that we didn’t just walk into America — evidence shows that we came here in little red boats 5,000 years earlier,” he says. 

The film weaves in elements from America’s history into its culture of hiking, trekking, camping or road tripping on scenic byways. The US vistas like national and state parks, rich eco systems, wildlife and winding wildernesses were where John’s ancestors had once lived and breathedIncidentally, John’s co-actor, Ariel Tweto also belongs to a Native American tribe. “When I was asked to be on the film, I learnt that I would get to do it with another Native American and I loved it,” he adds. 

John left for space in 2002 for the space mission STS-113. Prior to this, he was honoured with an ‘eagle feather’, emblematic of their clan, by the chief of his tribe. One of his dialogues in the films commemorates this beautifully. “At the dawn of the 21st century, an eagle feather was launched into space….” 

The IMAX film was shot in the summer of 2018. About the filming process, John recalls: “Ariel and I got to see places across the country which I had never heard of before. We first filmed at the Niagra Falls, then from South Carolina to New York, New Mexico to Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, St Louis and a place called Cahokia where native people had built large earth mounds at least 5,000 years back.“