Directed by Hannah Jayanti • Documentary • 2020 • 103 minutes

Truth or Consequences is a speculative documentary about time and how we weave the past into the present and our possible future. Set in the small desert town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, the film takes place in the shadow of the world’s first commercial Spaceport. Subtly set in a near future when space travel has begun, the film follows five residents in the town.

Anchored in observational documentary footage filmed over three years, the film weaves together archival, virtual reality worlds, an improvised score by Bill Frisell, and a speculative premise based on the real spaceport located just outside of town. These intertwine to create a lyrical meditation on progress, history, and how we navigate a sense of loss within ourselves and a changing world.

"Haunted and haunting. Jayanti threads the real-life stories of this town’s inhabitants through the impressionistic narrative. The tales are given further resonance by the strangeness of the place, and by a reflective electric-guitar score by Bill Frisell." —The New York Times

“One of the best documentaries that came out in 2020.” —The Boston Globe