In 1947, George Van Tassel, a former employee and confidant of Howard Hughes, makes the bold decision to leave behind his mundane life in Los Angeles filled with postwar anxiety. He relocates with his family to the serene Mojave Desert, where they make their home beneath a massive boulder. As he abandons the chaos of the city, he finds solace in the magnificent tranquility that Joshua Tree offers.
The turning point comes during the full moon in August 1953, when he encounters extraterrestrial beings who share with him the blueprint for a revolutionary rejuvenation device he dubs "The Integratron." This moment convinces Van Tassel that he has been chosen by these extraterrestrial visitors, led by Solganda, whose voice intriguingly resembles that of Ronald Coleman. Inspired, he embarks on an ambitious project to create a monumental dome capable of opening portals through time and space, merging the received wisdom with the groundbreaking work of Nikolai Tesla and other visionary scientists.
Long before contemporary shows like The X-Files and Stranger Things captured imaginations with themes of otherworldly contact, the harsh realities of nuclear threats and social conformity compelled artists, innovators, and adventurers in the postwar era to flock to the desert. They sought new lifestyles and futures while residing in the jack-rabbit shacks, plots of land allocated by the government through the Small Tract Act of 1938.
As a self-taught inventor and skilled pilot, Van Tassel quickly rises to prominence, becoming one of the pioneering figures of alien contact culture. His endeavors combine science with spirituality, forging a vision of a new utopia through the creation of the Integratron, which aims to resolve the issues of aging and harness unlimited energy for the world.
During the 1950s, Van Tassel sets in motion the Interplanetary Spacecraft Conventions to promote the dome and advance his anti-nuclear sentiments. Many affluent individuals from Los Angeles, eager for rejuvenation, support his project, including his old boss, Howard Hughes, who shares Van Tassel's concerns about contamination. Together, they contribute significantly to the development of the dome.
With the help of his neighbors, including an early follower of Yogananda, Van Tassel actualizes his dream, working tirelessly to complete the dome and prepare for its activation. His crusade attracts a diverse group of people to the area, igniting a peace-loving, alien-inspired movement. This convergence brings together an eclectic mix of alternative scientists, FBI agents, and eccentric individuals, all compelled by the burgeoning American Dream as they seek to either support or obstruct this emerging reality.
However, challenges arise as the Integratron's location poses a dilemma; it sits adjacent to one of the largest military installations worldwide, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, in Twentynine Palms. Balancing the scene is the enigmatic Giant Rock, a site with deep cultural significance to American Indians and a history of conflict.
The complexities of the Integratron's design unfold as its purposes remain cryptic. Although some of its electromagnetic principles prove promising, they require precise adjustment; failure to calibrate could lead to catastrophic consequences as one participant warns: >"Southern California could be blown off the map." As the project nears completion, unexpected twists threaten the culmination of Van Tassel's vision.
Ultimately, the Integratron serves different purposes for various individuals: some see it as a means for global colonization, others perceive it as a chance for companionship and guidance, while for many, it becomes a vibrant hub for culture and art. Calling All Earthlings vividly shares these narratives through the voices of both current and past inhabitants of the Joshua Tree region, featuring notable personalities such as Eric Burdon, medicine woman Valerie Brightheart, historian Ernest Siva of the Morongo Indians, publisher Art Kunkin, and the contemporary custodians of the dome, the Karl sisters. Supplementing the story are insights from esteemed Californian historian Dr. Kevin Starr, skeptical astronomer Bob Berman, and futurist duo Drs. JJ and Desiree Hurtak.
Accompanied by a celestial score crafted by Elliott Sharp alongside the legendary Harmonia, and other creative collaborators like Clive Wright and Dave Catching's Earthlings?, this documentary presents an enigmatic exploration of the boundary-defying culture inherent to Joshua Tree and its inhabitants, all the while patiently awaiting their spacecraft.
