
Rock Bottom Riser (2021)
From the earliest voyagers who navigated by starlight to the discovery of habitable planets by astronomers, Rock Bottom Riser examines the all-encompassing encounters of an island world at sea. As lava continues to flow from the earth’s core on the island of Hawaii—posing an imminent danger—a crisis mounts. Astronomers plan to build the world’s largest telescope on Hawaii’s most sacred and revered mountain, Mauna Kea. Based on ancient Polynesian navigation, the arrival of Christian missionaries, and the observatory’s ability to capture the origins of the universe, Rock Bottom Riser surveys the influence of settler colonialism, the search for intelligent life, and the discovery of new worlds as we peer into our own planet’s existence.
Read the Rock Bottom Riser feature →Media





Top billed cast
Full cast & crew →Movie DNA
More like this
More Documentary →
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing moment
Viewing momentFrequently asked questions about Rock Bottom Riser
What is Rock Bottom Riser about?
From the earliest voyagers who navigated by starlight to the discovery of habitable planets by astronomers, Rock Bottom Riser examines the all-encompassing encounters of an island world at sea. As lava continues to flow from the earth’s core on the island of Hawaii—posing an imminent danger—a crisis mounts. Astronomers plan to build the world’s largest telescope on Hawaii’s most sacred and revered mountain, Mauna Kea. Based on ancient Polynesian navigation, the arrival of Christian missionaries, and the observatory’s ability to capture the origins of the universe, Rock Bottom Riser surveys the influence of settler colonialism, the search for intelligent life, and the discovery of new worlds as we peer into our own planet’s existence.
How long is Rock Bottom Riser?
Rock Bottom Riser has a runtime of 70 minutes.
