Per Aspera Ad Astra (1981 film)
A Soviet sci-fi film about a cloned alien woman with telekinetic powers.
Per Aspera Ad Astra (Russian: Через тернии к звёздам; released in the U.S. as Through the Thorns to the Stars and Humanoid Woman) is a 1981 Soviet science fiction film directed by Richard Viktorov, based on an original screenplay (a novelization was written after the film).
In the 23rd century, the starship *Pushkin* finds an abandoned alien vessel. Its crew consists of identical humanoids produced through advanced cloning; most are dead, but one woman is discovered in a catatonic state. Mission leader Professor Sergei Lebedev brings her to Earth, houses her, and names her Neeya.
Neeya has no memory of her past. As she adjusts to life on Earth, she realizes she possesses various telekinetic abilities. Professor Nadezhda Ivanova, a colleague of Lebedev, studies Neeya’s neurophysiology and locates a special brain center that can be activated remotely. While Neeya is at the beach with Lebedev’s son Stepan, Ivanova triggers the system. Neeya loses control, falls into the water, and experiences a vivid flashback: on her home planet, a man explains that the control system was designed to give him command over the clones. Stepan pulls her out, ending the vision.
Neeya joins an archaeological expedition and has another flashback revealing she is from the planet Dessa. Upon returning, she learns a diplomatic mission from Dessa has arrived at the spaceport seeking Earth’s help. She stows away on their ship, the *Astra*, which coincidentally also carries Stepan and Professor Ivanova.
The *Astra* encounters Neeya’s former ship, identified by the Deesan diplomats as the *Gaya*. A transmitter for the neuro-command system remains active, forcing Neeya to teleport aboard without a spacesuit. She disables the signal before losing consciousness, and Stepan rescues her. Diplomat Rakan explains that the *Gaya* was the last vessel to leave Dessa, carrying Professor Glan, who was building a clone army and waiting for a signal from rebel forces to return and seize control.
The *Astra* arrives at Dessa to find a planet stripped of minerals, with poisoned air and water. Life persists only thanks to Turanchoks, who runs a gas mask factory in Glan’s former Institute. Resentful of the Earth ship’s ability to clean the environment—which would ruin his business—Turanchoks poisons the last water supply after the humans successfully test an air-cleaning method, blaming them and inciti
- Release year
- 1981
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Director
- Richard Viktorov
- Based on
- an original screenplay (novelization written after the film)
- Alternative titles
- Through the Thorns to the Stars; Humanoid Woman
- Notable adaptation
- Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000 (KTMA era, episode 11)
Quick Facts
- Director
- Richard Viktorovru · Викторов, Ричард Николаевич / Nikolai Viktorov (restored version)
- Producer
- Aleksandr Kazachkov / Yuri Obukhov / Sandy Frank (English language version producer)
- Writer
- Richard Viktorov (screenplay) / Kir Bulychov (novel)
- Music
- Alexey Rybnikov (original score) / Sergei Skripka (conductor)
- Cinematography
- Aleksandr Rybin · ru · Викторов, Ричард Николаевич / Sandor Berkesi · hu · Berkesi Sándor (restored version)
- Editing
- Lyubov Pushkina (ed.) / Konstantin Zagorsky (production design)
- Distributor
- Gorky Film Studio / Goskino (restored version) / M-Film (restored version)
- Released
- 1981 · 2001 · restored version
- Runtime
- 148 minutes / 123 minutes (restored version)
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Language
- Russian
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the 23rd century, the starship Pushkin discovers a derelict alien spaceship whose crew are identical humanoids created by an advanced cloning process. Most are dead, but one woman is found catatonic. Professor Sergei Lebedev brings her to Earth, names her Neeya, and she develops telekinetic powers while suffering memory loss. A friend, Professor Nadezhda Ivanova, discovers a neurocenter in Neeya's brain that can be triggered remotely, causing Neeya to lose control and recall her home planet Dessa.
Neeya stows away on the Astra, a ship returning to Dessa, where she learns the derelict ship Gaya was part of Professor Glan's plan to build a clone army. On Dessa, the planet is stripped of minerals and poisoned. A factory owner named Turanchoks tries to sabotag
Reader's Guide
Per Aspera Ad Astra stands as a notable entry in Soviet science fiction cinema, blending space opera themes with cloning, telekinesis, and environmental collapse. The film's plot, derived from Kir Bulychov's novel, explores the consequences of unchecked technological control and the resilience of a cloned individual. Its legacy includes a heavily edited English-dubbed version titled Humanoid Woman, which was featured in the 11th episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 during the KTMA era, gaining a cult following through that parody. A 20th anniversary restoration directed by Nikolai Viktorov (the original director's son) was released on December 27, 2001, with revised special effects by the Paradox company and an all-new Dolby Digital soundtrack, though it was cut by 25 minutes to speed up plot development and remove Soviet ideological context. The film remains a reference point for Cold War-era science fiction and the challenges of adapting Soviet narratives for international audiences.
Did You Know?
- The film's U.S. title is Humanoid Woman.
- A heavily-edited English-dubbed version was featured in the 11th episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 during the KTMA era.
- A 20th anniversary restoration directed by Nikolai Viktorov, son of the original director, was released on December 27, 2001.
- The restoration cut 25 minutes of footage to speed up plot development and excise Soviet ideological context.
More in Russian-language science fiction films 1-24
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