BFF26: The Man Who Fell to Earth

Retrospective

Celebrating its 50th anniversary and presented in a stunning 4K restoration, The Man Who Fell to Earth remains a visionary science-fiction landmark from legendary British director Nicolas Roeg, starring David Bowie in his first major film role.

The story follows Thomas Jerome Newton (Bowie), an enigmatic extraterrestrial who arrives on Earth seeking water for his drought-stricken home planet. Using advanced alien technology, Newton amasses enormous wealth in an attempt to build a spacecraft and return home. But as he becomes increasingly entangled in human society, he encounters love, exploitation, addiction, and loneliness, gradually losing sight of his original mission.

Striking, surreal and deeply melancholic, the film explores humanity’s relationship with technology, desire, power and environmental catastrophe. Fifty years on, its distinctive imagery, fractured storytelling and Bowie’s unforgettable performance continue to resonate, securing its place as one of cinema’s most enduring and influential visions of alienation and the human condition.

NOMINEE | Best Film Golden Bear, Berlin International Film Festival 1976