Directed & produced by Bill Perrine. 2012. 78 minutes. Available on DVD, digital and streaming platforms.
Children of the Stars tells the strange but true story of a UFO contactee group who relive their past lives on other planets by making their own science fiction films.
In 1973, Ruth Norman, a 73 year old widow and self described cosmic visionary purchased 67 acres of land in the mountains east of San Diego, California as a landing site for the Space Brothers, emissaries from the Intergalactic Confederation. Nearly 40 years later, a group of dedicated followers still await their arrival.
At the Unarius Academy of Science death does not exist, Nicola Tesla was a Space Brother, Satan drove a Cadillac and science fiction is real. To relive their pasts the students film their own sci-fi extravaganzas with the increasingly extravagant Ruth Norman as the star and the lines between fantasy and reality dissolve.
Using spectacular footage from original Unarius films and Hollywood Sci-Fi flicks to illustrate, comment upon, and subvert interviews with the remaining Unarius students, “Children of the Stars” covers millions of years, hundreds of galaxies and dozens of B movies to present a sympathetic look at faith and how people justify it in different ways.
PRESS
KPBS -feature
The Interplanetary Beliefs Of An Unusual Group In El Cajon. If you’ve lived in San Diego for awhile and you don’t know about the Unarius organization, you need to expand you horizons, in more…
The Frisky – review
The best thing ever…I think it just replaced Grey Gardens as my favorite documentary of all time…
Huffington Post – feature
Unarius, UFO Cult, Gets Profiled In ‘Children Of The Stars’ Documentary. Some people look at films like “Star Wars” and see science fiction, but the members of a UFO group based in El Cajon, Calif., see a documentary.
Gizmodo – review
If you see only one documentary…
San Francisco Bay Guardian – feature
3-2-1 Contact. El Cajon – between balmy coastal San Diego and arid desert mountains to the east — is just the sort of place where the dream of California living came true for a lot of…
Fox 5 San Diego – feature
Documentary features group who believes people came from outer space. A unique group of people who believe in an “interdimensional science” is subject of a documentary premiering for the first time in San Diego this week….
Hercules Invictus” – interview and review
Greetings Bill! Thank you very much for granting the time for this interview. I greatly enjoyed your film, ‘Children of the Stars’…
VHX – review
A compelling documentary on a 1970’s cult that makes Scientology actually sound sensible. It’s THAT CRAZY.
PLAYBACK:stl – review
Yes! Weekly – review
Videoscope – review
DVD Talk – review
Ain’t It Cool News – review
Los Angeles Beat – review
Movie City News – review
Deseret News – review
Harvey and Bob Show – review
Dusty on Movies – interview
I’m honored to feature this Q&A with the writer and producer of “Children of The Stars”, Bill Perrine. I found Bill online after I learned there would be an exclusive screening of his film in Buchanan…
San Diego Reader – movie recommendations
Laugh, cry, hate yourself. I’m a sucker for character studies of unlikeable people, and Listen Up Philip (USA, 2014, Tribeca Films) pulls no punches. Jason Schwartzman is repellant and yet strangely relatable as…