Ariel Phenomenon

There is possibly too much to say about this story... this encounter... this phenomenon. Which is probably why it took the director some 15 years to research and pull together the preliminary edit of 100 minutes. It's a documentary that was shopped around to would-be distributors, who apparently advised that the film should have more of a commercial appeal. Truly, even in its current form, the movie deserves a wide global audience. It's an authentic account which is perfectly suited for our cultural moment. As a planetary civilization, we are waking up from history. We are at an inflection point in our understanding of ourselves and our place in the cosmos.

Depending on one's perspective, humanity has existed in concert with other intelligent beings since forever. Whether they're angels or aliens or some other kind of dimensional life, these beings are part of a larger natural order. This reality has been experienced and expressed across cultures, around the world, for millennia. Again, it's the sort of mystery that could easily be explored in a longer documentary. There are so many ways to frame the telling of the tale, which sets the stage for an inevitable paradigm shift.

Suffice it to say, for whatever the film may lack in production savvy, it more than makes up for with journalistic integrity and genuine compassion. With unassuming precision, the documentary deftly weaves together many testimonies; from the individuals who witnessed the remarkable event, to the indigenous people for whom these occurrences are part of our common spiritual tapestry. As with all good art, the personal becomes universal. What begins as a very private wrestling to make sense, transforms into a public sharing for our own consideration.

At heart, then, this movie is about honoring those who have had these deeply confounding experiences. These are things that happen. People need the space and support to process such extraordinary moments. Whether we're ready or able, individually and collectively, to fold the mystery of these experiences into our worldview, the truth is that humanity is nestled within a grander reality that's both visible and invisible to our understanding. As Shakespeare reminds us, "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy."

Clearly the phenomenon of otherworldly beings interacting with humanity needs further investigation, on all levels. We may begin to unpuzzle some of the meaning and purpose behind such encounters. In the documentary itself, of all the astounding, mind-boggling recollections, one young girl explains a message that was communicated directly into her mind, through her conscience. She said: "I think they want people to know that we're actually making harm on this world, and we mustn't get too technologed (sic)." Wisdom is as wisdom does.

While "Ariel Phenomenon" is a very competent, strongly conceived introduction to the reality of this earthly mystery, it should also be noted that the director leans heavily in favor of what's known as the "extraterrestrial hypothesis." There is an implicit assumption that the beings are from distant planets in our physical, sensible universe. Meanwhile, other luminaries who have studied these phenomena for decades (e.g., Jacques Vallee) would be underwhelmed to discover that our cosmic interlopers are merely extraterrestrial. All the evidence suggests something much stranger than we can imagine.

In this spirit, it's somehow poetically (or mystically) appropriate that the Zimbabwe event occurred at a place called the Ariel School. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Ariel has the meaning of "Lion of God," whose angelic mission is elemental dominion over the earth. We may be under the gentle guidance -- and, at times, heavy-handed admonition -- of an invisible cohort with whom we share this majestic world. Through the impressions meticulously curated in this documentary, we are invited and challenged to broaden our worldview. Outside one of the school's classrooms, a children's poster of the solar system quietly reads: "We All Live Together."

I've been admittedly frustrated with the time it's taken for this movie to be released, but I'm so happy it finally was. This incident is so incredibly compelling. I'm hoping once they receive some funds from rentals, there will be some additional publicity, and hopefully gets picked up by a streaming service so more people can see it. This is an incredible story about not only these children seeing other-worldly beings and things that can't be explained, but the importance of giving people a voice and listening to experiences, something John Mack was very passionate about. Learning about these children changed my life, and I'm a little jealous of all you who will be discovering this story for the first time!

This movie has everything and anything you need to start believing in this topic. This is not just a bunch of clips put together but indeed a human account of a event that shocked so many. It takes you to the kids being interviewed in all age groups. To the aftermath of the kids grown up and recalling the events with the maturity and wisdom of their own. To see the BBC reporter admit he was overwhelmed and shaken from this event to the facial expressions of the kids will keep your mind captivated to the end. This movie is passed well and the edits keep the story on a human level. At the end of the story you will want to rewatch it again. Finally I will say having 64 to 70 kids tell a story of such a life changing event and anyone who knows kids and young adults truly knows they are telling the truth. Five ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars.

I had been waiting to view for this movie for literally years, and when it finally came out -- it did not disappoint.

The director did a very good job fitting together footage from 1994 when the encounter occurred, along with more recent filming of the same witnesses years later as adults. Salma Siddick and Emily Trim are both particularly compelling ... and believable (!)

There was also good use of background material to fill in the details and form a whole picture of the event, including the experiences of the BBC's Tim Leach and Harvard's Dr. John Mack. (About the only quibble I have with the presentation is the interesting, but extraneous, delving into Dr. Mack's background and problems at Harvard with the University administration and other faculty members. While interesting on its own, all this would likely have occurred even if Dr. Mack had had nothing to do with investigating the Ariel Phenomenon. As such it is an extraneous - lasting approx. 10 min. - off-topic frolic away from the Ariel event.)

Nonetheless, I highly recommend the movie to anyone with an interest in UFOs and alien encounters.

The gravity of the UFO/EBE event at The Ariel School in Zimbabwe was heightened by the sheer number of witnesses along with the fact it may have lasted fifteen or so minutes. Events like this are rare, of course, and would possibly even be singular as the EBEs interacted with some of the witnesses. Quite a stir locally quickly spread wider as all news services picked it up. The BBC felt compelled by duty to dig deeper. So begins the larger story of what many consider the most credible mass-sighting event in the modern world.

Tim Leach of the BBC's Zimbabwe Bureau was immediately on the story interviewing the witnesses at Ariel School who witnessed the event. Leach, finding the many children wholly believable felt the need to better document the amazing daylight encounter of not only the unknown flying vehicle but interaction between some of the students with unknown beings. Leach called Harvard University's John Mack. Mack immediately knew this was something beyond compelling, historically important in mankind's history. Mack travelled eight-thousand miles to Africa to interview the witnesses first-hand. He documented interviews with the students on video and audio as well as taking extensive written notes as he found the event amazing and credible.

Now in 2022 filmmaker/researcher Randall Nickerson gives viewers a deep dive back to the Ariel School Event of 1994. Combining both Leach's and Mack's video interviews with new interviews of many of the witnesses some twenty-five plus years on often proves amazing. It re-elevates the importance of this still unexplained event much as it should be in an age when The United States of America government/military has finally admitted to the existence of unexplained flying phenomenon. I think Nickerson has done a service to the larger need for open and transparent disclosure on what has been closeted for myriad reasons - including the always hovering one of ridicule. Bringing The Ariel School Event back into the public eye with actual witnesses is simply fascinating. As such I feel this is a very important film.