{"id":13654,"date":"2026-04-13T12:21:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kouziproductions.com\/blog\/?p=13654"},"modified":"2026-04-15T13:21:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T11:21:25","slug":"we-are-stardust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kouziproductions.com\/blog\/2026\/04\/13\/we-are-stardust\/","title":{"rendered":"We Are Stardust"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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\"Jon gave me back my childhood trust in wonder. And now I want to share this magic with all of you.<\/em>\" E.R.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Dimitra Kouzi in conversation with Elisabeth Rasmussen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dimitra Kouzi (DK): If you had to describe the film in one sentence, what would it be?<\/strong>
Elisabeth Rasmussen (E.R.): A love letter to citizen science and thinking outside the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DK: How did you first encounter Jon Larsen\u2019s story?<\/strong>
E.R.: I had just returned to Norway after living abroad for years. I heard a radio interview where a man claimed he found stardust on rooftops, and I needed to meet this guy. When I met him, I knew I wanted to make a film about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you approach portraying Jon Larsen\u2019s character\u2014both as a musician and as an amateur scientist\u2014so that viewers could connect with his curiosity and perseverance?\u201d<\/strong>
I wanted to portray Jon first and foremost as a human being. A question that came up for me is why Jon? How is it possible that a Norwegian artist does what big scientific institutions have not been able to do? 
His mum sharing stories about him as a little boy who would come home with pockets full of rocks, teaches us something about him. His background as a jazz musician<\/a> is essential. Jazz is about improvisation and listening deeply. His art studies told him about textures and pattern recognition. Those same skills informed his scientific discovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Andrew Farrar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Jon approaches research with a creative mindset.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

But beyond that, I wanted to show vulnerability. There were years of dismissal. Years of doubt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The audience needs to feel the cost of persistence, not just the triumph.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

By allowing time for silence, reflection, and small details, the way he handles the material when looking for it, a particle under a microscope, the way he speaks about rocks, we see not just determination, but wonder. I spent nearly a decade filming him, which allowed space for real moments to unfold naturally.
By showing both his doubts and his persistence, the audience can see themselves in him. He is not a superhero. He is someone who refused to stop looking. And that makes him a hero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visual scale moves from microscopic particles to cosmic imagery. How did you approach this cinematically?<\/strong>
I have always been fascinated with micro\/macro perspectives. A friend showed me Charles and Ray Eames\u2019s \u2018Powers of 10\u2019 during a conversation at Cannes film festival in 2007, and I was mesmerised. I later learned that electrons exist in orbitals (clouds) around a dense, central nucleus composed of protons and neutrons like tiny little solar systems in our body. Nature\u2019s and life\u2019s circular connectedness is so beautiful. I wanted to approach this by showing how our solar system was created by stardust, and how micrometeorites were the beginning of life on Earth through bringing water molecules and other materials like carbon from space. As this process happened 4.6 billion years ago, we solved this cinematically by working with VFX. It was very important to us that the scientific correctness remain valid, so we leaned on scientific institutions as well as the scientists in the film to provide images and feedback on our animations. I have taken inspiration from \u2018Powers of Ten\u2019 in the sense that we move from a human body and show different steps all the way to the Milky Way and back, and also inside the body, down to the electron swarm \u2013 simply to illustrate the connectedness of everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo Viktoria Kovalenko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Why was it important to frame this story as character-driven rather than as a conventional science documentary?<\/strong>
When you are a documentary filmmaker and meet someone as passionate and fascinating as Jon Larsen, it is next to impossible not to turn a camera on him. I wanted to share with audiences what he represents \u2013 freedom, dream, hope. I do like science films; however, I feel that traditional science films might sometimes alienate broader audiences. Jon stands for openness, curiosity and wonder. His method for finding stardust in urban areas is as interesting to me as stardust itself. I did not want to make a film for scientists; I wanted to make a film that makes it possible for everyone to understand what stardust is, and how we can find it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you portray Jon\u2019s determination without romanticising him? What drew you to his underdog struggle against \u2018gatekeepers\u2019 of science?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I come from S\u00e1pmi, the traditional homelands of the S\u00e1mi people<\/a> that stretch from Norway across Sweden and into Finland and Russia. My people were colonised and told that their language, culture and belief system were wrong. I guess that makes questioning the perceived right and wrong inevitable. My last documentary was about a punk who never gave in to conformity and established rules. See the pattern here? I love the fact that Jon follows his intuition. He is so humble and inclusive. He teaches even children to find stardust. Just letting his personality shine through the camera, and using that same energy in the edit, having open communication with the editors, encouraging them to go with their gut helped the film find balance without romanticising Jon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How did you balance Indigenous cosmology with scientific rationalism?<\/strong>The beautiful S\u00e1mi myth<\/a> I heard as a child about how a reindeer wandered down a ray of sun and brought life to Earthmakes me feel awe and connectedness with the sun and nature around me. I felt the same magic and awe when I heard that stardust could be found everywhere around us and that it is these tiny micrometeorites that brought life to Earth. The sun is our parent and everything around us is connected. I feel great comfort knowing that, and a deep love for nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What were the biggest challenges you faced during production?<\/strong>
One challenge was to understand and stay on top of the science before interviewing Jon and top astrophysicists and geologists. I spent a good while preparing myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What surprised you during the making of the film?<\/strong>
I was astonished to find out just how many tonnes of terrestrial material Jon went through to find one extraterrestrial particle. But most of all I was surprised when I saw how beautiful micrometeorites are!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moment when NASA scientists climb onto their own rooftop to collect micrometeorites feels almost absurd. What did that sequence represent within the larger arc of the story?<\/strong>
It is true that NASA have spent billions on finding extraterrestrial particles in space. In my interview with NASA Stardust Curator Mike Zolensky<\/a>, he said that on one such mission, they found half a milligram of stardust. Jon had found much more than that. Scientists need to study this material to learn about where life came from before our solar system was created, and whether there is life in other places in our universe. Before Jon, stardust was only found in space, Greenland, Antarctica and deep ocean sediments. By finding stardust on NASA\u2019s rooftop, Jon proved once and for all that it can be found anywhere. This was a game changer both for Jon and for the field of micrometeorite research. Mike Zolensky said that Jon, through his discoveries, has opened a new door to the beginning of our solar system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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World Premiere March 2026 Photo: Katerina Tzigotzidou<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The invention of a microscope camera capable of capturing micrometeorites in vivid colour introduces extraordinary imagery. How did you integrate VFX and AI-assisted animation while preserving the documentary\u2019s authenticity and intimacy?<\/strong>
Mineralogist and photographer Jan Braly Kihle<\/a> is one of the most interesting and knowledgeable people I have ever met. He created the microscope camera used to photograph Jon\u2019s stardust. Together, Jan and Jon continued to improve it. The photographs they take of cosmic dust are breathtaking, and there has been absolutely no AI or VFX manipulation of the still photos of Jon\u2019s stardust. Micrometeorites are simply that beautiful when you see them enlarged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, being a filmmaker, I wanted to see a tiny micrometeorite move. I wanted to see it fall from space and land on Jon\u2019sbreakfast table, because that is what set this whole journey into motion. I\u2019ve seen it inside my head since I heard the story and wanted to visualise this beautiful journey that these small cocktails of life-sustaining materials make when they fall down to Earth like snowflakes.
Making the 0.3mm micrometeorite fall from space and land on the table proved challenging to visualise. We worked closely with Colin Byrne at Little Shadow in London<\/a>. They used a high-resolution photo of an actual micrometeorite from Jon and Jan and cutting-edge VFX and AI-assisted VFX technology to make it both visible and in a realistic size as it moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Those photos of the Micrometeorites made possible due to the microscope invention of Mineralogist and photographer Jan Braly Kihle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We Are Stardust<\/em> suggests that science belongs to everyone. In an era of polarisation and mistrust of expertise, do you see the film as political?<\/strong>
One of the simplest definitions of politics I heard was from the late Swedish prime minister Olof Palme<\/a>, who said, \u2018Politics is to want something.\u2019<\/a> In that sense, the film is political, as it wants to give people the power and inspiration to think outside the box. As Jon says, we tend to think that everything is invented; but it is not. Geologically speaking, we are still beginners; there is so much more to come. Everyone can help shape how the future is going to look and what will be discovered. You do not need money or a science degree to do that. You need curiosity and perseverance.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Elisabeth Rasmussen, Mineralogist and photographer Jan Braly Kihle and Jon Larsen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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What do you hope audiences will take away from the film?<\/strong>
It is my hope that every viewer of this film will feel the excitement and zest for discovering stardust that Jon\u2019s micrometeorites reawakened in me. The connection I felt to the stars as a little girl was indeed more real than I realised at the time. We are all part of something bigger; we are all connected. If the film can make the audience feel connected to nature and to each other, or be inspired in any way, that would make me very happy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Producers (left to right) Jamie Hever<\/a><\/em><\/em> (UK), Benedikte Bredesen<\/a> (NO), and Ulrik Gutkin <\/a>(DN) Thessaloniki Film Festival \/ Studio Aris Rammos<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, what would your ideal future for the film\u2019s journey look like?<\/strong>
The ideal journey would be as many festivals and public-TV platforms as possible, and special screenings where there is a stardust hunt so audiences can learn how to look for stardust themselves. We hope to sign with the right sales agent, one who understands the film and can find audiences in unexpected places. I have been blessed with the most incredible team of producers \u2013 Benedikte Bredesen<\/a>, Jamie Hever<\/a> and Ulrik Gutkin <\/a>\u2013 as well as the crew and characters in the film. I hope the film opens doors that lead to a place where we all get to continue doing what we love: making stories come alive. We would all love to do screenings for young people, people in prisons, people in hospitals\u2026 I want the film to reach as far and wide as a documentary can and for as many people as possible to meet Jon and feel encouraged by his quest. The sky is not the limit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cover Photo: Mineralogist\u00a0and photographer Jan Braly Kihle Elisabeth Rasmussen, and Jon Larsen: Thessaloniki Film Festival \/ Studio Aris Rammos<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want MORE? Check here <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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