The relevant predicate with which anyone should approach the topic of UFOs is this: simply put, they exist.
Now, this doesn’t consider in any way what they are. Some argue that they’re intergalactic spacecraft flown here by some distant civilization to monitor our primitive progress in our own journey through the ages. Others insist that there’s no way they could possibly be from outside of galaxy and instead theorize that there’s this advanced civilization residing somewhere at the bottom of our seas. Furthermore, scientists explain that the math is there to support the likelihood of alternate dimensions; and this prospect fuels even more speculation about how such reality-hopping vehicles might slip through whatever veil separates ‘ours’ from ‘theirs.’ Of course, none of this discounts the fact that a great many of these unidentified objects do become ‘identified’ after a modicum of research … but there remain a percentage of sightings that perplex the wisest minds. It’s these that deserve our greatest attention.
Over the years, the greatest controversy toward exploring these stories is the fact that experts disagree over what weight should be given to eyewitness accounts. You see, we’re human, after all, and we can’t unconditionally be trusted because we’re flawed. We make mistakes. We misidentify X for Y; and because we might not possess the acumen to distinguish our temperature inversions from our swamp gases then these specialists argue we can’t be trusted. In spite of the fact that eyewitnesses accounts often figure front-and-center into any court proceeding of record – meaning that the law considers them trustworthy enough – skeptics point out that our imperfections outweigh our validations. This grim reality vanquishes perhaps all we really have when it comes to understanding these sightings, and that’s very, very, very sad.
Thankfully, the folks behind The UFOs Of Soesterberg feel differently. They – like a great many within the wider UFO and ‘High Strangeness’ community – learned long ago that what these witnesses not only see but can effectively elucidate needs to be considered. Their stories need to be heard. They’ve amassed a good handful of spectator accounts involving some curious aerial activity in and around the Soesterberg Air Base in the Netherlands, and they’ve presented here without commentary, leaving it up to the audience to be the judge of what these folks saw and say. What emerges is a vivid picture that just might make a believer out of a skeptic or – at least – give the doubter a reason to pause.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In the early morning of February 3, 1979, a giant black triangular object flew over Soesterberg Air Base. At least twelve soldiers witnessed this bizarre spectacle.”
Documentaries are particularly vexing to review because there truly is no performance herein to gauge. While there generally is a what could be loosely described as a narrative, it isn’t usually the kind of story which has the emotional highs and lows we’re drawn to as spectators of drama. Often time, the people involved are merely regular folks – not all that different from you or I – and they spend what screen time they’re given to speak from the heart without the advent of a director who might give them advice of how to make their speeches more captivating. They speak frankly, sometimes a bit unevenly, and stick to their recollections. They’re not interested in winning audiences over: they’re only interested in presenting their 'truth,’ which is all they have.
Now, this doesn’t consider in any way what they are. Some argue that they’re intergalactic spacecraft flown here by some distant civilization to monitor our primitive progress in our own journey through the ages. Others insist that there’s no way they could possibly be from outside of galaxy and instead theorize that there’s this advanced civilization residing somewhere at the bottom of our seas. Furthermore, scientists explain that the math is there to support the likelihood of alternate dimensions; and this prospect fuels even more speculation about how such reality-hopping vehicles might slip through whatever veil separates ‘ours’ from ‘theirs.’ Of course, none of this discounts the fact that a great many of these unidentified objects do become ‘identified’ after a modicum of research … but there remain a percentage of sightings that perplex the wisest minds. It’s these that deserve our greatest attention.
Over the years, the greatest controversy toward exploring these stories is the fact that experts disagree over what weight should be given to eyewitness accounts. You see, we’re human, after all, and we can’t unconditionally be trusted because we’re flawed. We make mistakes. We misidentify X for Y; and because we might not possess the acumen to distinguish our temperature inversions from our swamp gases then these specialists argue we can’t be trusted. In spite of the fact that eyewitnesses accounts often figure front-and-center into any court proceeding of record – meaning that the law considers them trustworthy enough – skeptics point out that our imperfections outweigh our validations. This grim reality vanquishes perhaps all we really have when it comes to understanding these sightings, and that’s very, very, very sad.
Thankfully, the folks behind The UFOs Of Soesterberg feel differently. They – like a great many within the wider UFO and ‘High Strangeness’ community – learned long ago that what these witnesses not only see but can effectively elucidate needs to be considered. Their stories need to be heard. They’ve amassed a good handful of spectator accounts involving some curious aerial activity in and around the Soesterberg Air Base in the Netherlands, and they’ve presented here without commentary, leaving it up to the audience to be the judge of what these folks saw and say. What emerges is a vivid picture that just might make a believer out of a skeptic or – at least – give the doubter a reason to pause.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“In the early morning of February 3, 1979, a giant black triangular object flew over Soesterberg Air Base. At least twelve soldiers witnessed this bizarre spectacle.”
Documentaries are particularly vexing to review because there truly is no performance herein to gauge. While there generally is a what could be loosely described as a narrative, it isn’t usually the kind of story which has the emotional highs and lows we’re drawn to as spectators of drama. Often time, the people involved are merely regular folks – not all that different from you or I – and they spend what screen time they’re given to speak from the heart without the advent of a director who might give them advice of how to make their speeches more captivating. They speak frankly, sometimes a bit unevenly, and stick to their recollections. They’re not interested in winning audiences over: they’re only interested in presenting their 'truth,’ which is all they have.
So The UFOs Of Soesterberg is an accounting of various witnesses to what is more than a single event. Yes, it’s safe to conclude that they’re strung together geographically, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that not every person here saw the same thing. (Their descriptions vary, though a few are unarguably similar.) Also, there’s a time element – one eyewitness is speaking about the U.S. sharing territory with the Netherlands military base in the 1990’s (i.e. the Gulf War is specifically cited) – that could’ve been handled a bit more clearly as they way it unfolded here was a bit confusing. As the associated advertising materials kinda/sorta imply the bulk of these remembrances involve an event from February 3, 1979, that would make the Gulf War well down the road.
As is often the case when dealing with firsthand testimony, the audience is left with determining how much of what’s being detailed could be authentic; and I’ll be the first to say that I don’t believe anyone here was concocting a story for attention. Real people have no reason to do that, and the bulk of these interviewees speak with unmistakable clarity about something they saw decades ago. The fact that their recall is so vibrant compels me to accept that they watched something take place that’ll stick with them until their dying days. While none of it was presented as particularly frightening, I think all of them said that seeing what they did was enough to put the fear of God (or aliens) into their hearts. That should speak volumes.
The only significant drawback so far as this UFO junkie is concerned is that Soesterberg – like so many others like-minded features – never quite goes far enough in crafting a relatable conclusion. (I realized going in that answers were not likely to be forthcoming. Such is the nature of this growing mystery.) In fact, many of the same theories involving the who, what, and where of flying saucers – i.e. military involvement, clandestine aircraft, men in black, etc. – wind up weaving their way into the story, some mention of which just feels a bit too convenient. Simply exposing these events for the sake of history is enough to warrant significant attention: tying all of it up in a bow with so much of what’s been suggested or extrapolated elsewhere seems like the producers were piggybacking for time as if the original material they captured just wasn’t good enough.
Lastly, I’d be remiss in my duties of archiving these features for posterity’s sake if I failed to mention that Soesterberg has turned out to be a bit of a darling – deservedly – on the film festival circuit. Multiple screenings have resulted in the flick garnering a fair share of notoriety and trophies, and I always find such triumphs deserving of mention for those who care about those kinds of accolades. Such praise doesn’t happen all that often – especially for UFO-based exposés – so hats off to all involved.
The UFOs Of Soesterberg (2023) was produced by the Mad Scientists Movement. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn). As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the documentary’s sights-and-sounds to be quite exceptional across the board: there’s a bit of visual trickery employed here and there – along with some animated dramatizations – and while not all of it is all that compelling it’s entirely serviceable for what’s required. I will say that there’s a bit of curious encoding to the disc’s entire time index: what indicates a three-hour plus running time is actually the entirety of the doc itself – presented in two different ways – and the single special feature, which amounts to 20-minute conference presentation. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Honestly, the just aforementioned conference presentation is all there is; and that’s a bit underwhelming so far as I’m concerned. It is what it is.
Recommended.
Though the central narrative jumps around from sighting to sighting a bit, The UFOs Of Soesterberg still effectively highlights why eyewitness testimony remains a critical component in exploring the mysteries of what might be truly ‘out there’ (in The X-Files parlance). What these people have to say might sound occasionally incredulous, and yet their stories are delivered with the conviction not so much as a true believer as it is a personal affirmations assuring anyone listening that “I know what I saw.” While facts and statistics could be used and misused ad infinitum, it’s accounts like these that remind audiences that – no matter what galaxy-spanning explanation could be involved – there’s still a very human component needing to be measured in any equation. Hats off to those who believe these experiences minimally need preservation for the ages.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The UFOs Of Soesterberg (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
As is often the case when dealing with firsthand testimony, the audience is left with determining how much of what’s being detailed could be authentic; and I’ll be the first to say that I don’t believe anyone here was concocting a story for attention. Real people have no reason to do that, and the bulk of these interviewees speak with unmistakable clarity about something they saw decades ago. The fact that their recall is so vibrant compels me to accept that they watched something take place that’ll stick with them until their dying days. While none of it was presented as particularly frightening, I think all of them said that seeing what they did was enough to put the fear of God (or aliens) into their hearts. That should speak volumes.
The only significant drawback so far as this UFO junkie is concerned is that Soesterberg – like so many others like-minded features – never quite goes far enough in crafting a relatable conclusion. (I realized going in that answers were not likely to be forthcoming. Such is the nature of this growing mystery.) In fact, many of the same theories involving the who, what, and where of flying saucers – i.e. military involvement, clandestine aircraft, men in black, etc. – wind up weaving their way into the story, some mention of which just feels a bit too convenient. Simply exposing these events for the sake of history is enough to warrant significant attention: tying all of it up in a bow with so much of what’s been suggested or extrapolated elsewhere seems like the producers were piggybacking for time as if the original material they captured just wasn’t good enough.
Lastly, I’d be remiss in my duties of archiving these features for posterity’s sake if I failed to mention that Soesterberg has turned out to be a bit of a darling – deservedly – on the film festival circuit. Multiple screenings have resulted in the flick garnering a fair share of notoriety and trophies, and I always find such triumphs deserving of mention for those who care about those kinds of accolades. Such praise doesn’t happen all that often – especially for UFO-based exposés – so hats off to all involved.
The UFOs Of Soesterberg (2023) was produced by the Mad Scientists Movement. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn). As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the documentary’s sights-and-sounds to be quite exceptional across the board: there’s a bit of visual trickery employed here and there – along with some animated dramatizations – and while not all of it is all that compelling it’s entirely serviceable for what’s required. I will say that there’s a bit of curious encoding to the disc’s entire time index: what indicates a three-hour plus running time is actually the entirety of the doc itself – presented in two different ways – and the single special feature, which amounts to 20-minute conference presentation. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Honestly, the just aforementioned conference presentation is all there is; and that’s a bit underwhelming so far as I’m concerned. It is what it is.
Recommended.
Though the central narrative jumps around from sighting to sighting a bit, The UFOs Of Soesterberg still effectively highlights why eyewitness testimony remains a critical component in exploring the mysteries of what might be truly ‘out there’ (in The X-Files parlance). What these people have to say might sound occasionally incredulous, and yet their stories are delivered with the conviction not so much as a true believer as it is a personal affirmations assuring anyone listening that “I know what I saw.” While facts and statistics could be used and misused ad infinitum, it’s accounts like these that remind audiences that – no matter what galaxy-spanning explanation could be involved – there’s still a very human component needing to be measured in any equation. Hats off to those who believe these experiences minimally need preservation for the ages.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Black Mandala (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The UFOs Of Soesterberg (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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