Stories of Inspiration: Project Mars Winner Ricardo

Inspiration can come from everywhere – even worlds far beyond our own. The Project Mars competition brought us short films and posters that push the boundaries of imagination and show us a future on the Red Planet with the power to inspire future scientists and artists for years to come.

This week we heard from Ricardo Bernardini, the winner of the Inspiration Award presented by the Aerospace Industries Association. With his short film “92Mars,” Ricardo showed us how one woman’s childhood dreams inspired and motivated her for the journey to her new home – Mars.

Learn more about our winner and watch Ricardo’s short film below!

1. What inspired you to get into filmmaking?

Since I was I kid I wanted to build things, more than playing with a toy I enjoy building a toy, after reading a comic book I would go and create my own stories. Due to my mother’s mental illness, me and my brothers had a hard and unusual childhood. So to escape my reality I created stories of other worlds where I could feel safe. Movie making allowed me to build these universes of my own, and share them with the world to see, and maybe, somewhere, another kid could be inspired to do the same.

2. Which director is your biggest influence?

It is hard to point at only one director. I like to think that one day I could make movies with smart dialogues like Tarantino does, or as suspenseful as Hitchcock’s, or being able to brilliantly synthesize all of the best like Orson Welles did.

But if I had to pick only one it would have to be Steven Spielberg. I was too young to see Jaws when it came out, so the first Spielberg movie I saw was E.T. and ever since that movie I was fascinated with the way his movies feel. They feel personal; he manages to show you the everyday routine of relatable characters that at the same time are having to deal with extraordinary events. At the end everything feels so real. For me, that is what matters the most.

3. If you had the honor to name the first rocket to Mars, what would you name it?


4. If you could have one actor or actress star in your film, who would you choose?

Millie Bobby Brown

5. What excites you most about traveling to Mars?

Discovering the unknown.

6. How did you learn about the Project Mars competition?

An ad on Facebook

7. Who and what would you bring on your journey to Mars?

My wife and 3 kids

8. What is your earliest memory of science or science fiction?

Watching Star Wars for the first time when I was 8 years old with my father and my brother.

9. Who is your favorite character from science fiction?

Mr. Spock

10. Aliens???

Why not? “Otherwise it would be an awful waste of space”