Page - 14 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

developed by the biologist Dean Hamer: if some humans are predisposed genetical- ly to spirituality, then God can be programmed in people by modifying their genes.12 In a critical approach, they created in this installation a precise illustration of this theory, producing a Transcendental Bacteria of Faith to stimulate public and open dialogue about genetic research. Consequently, as we speculate about the next movie in the Alien saga, we might wonder if the android David might use the God gene in a sequel. That would be one option for David if his need is to take the final step and meet God. Nothing is impossible in the vast science fiction domain, where the “what if”13 remains the biggest question. The Thematic Section The three articles in the thematic section of this issue propose different per- ceptions of the interaction between science fiction and religion. Joel Mayward explores the “parabolic transcendence” in Shane Carruth’s two movies, Primer (US 2004) and Upstream Color (US 2013), following an aesthetical approach based on the Ricoeurian concept of the parable. How can the religious be driv- en by a non-religious discourse? What are the links between the narrative form and the metaphorical process? James Lorenz offers an interpretation of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker (USSR 1979), pointing to “the end of desire, hope, and be- lief”. His article focuses on the genre, style, and form of the movie, especially the theme of the journey as a spiritual trip surrounded by Trinitarian and Christolog- ical imagery. Bina Nir centers her article on the “biblical narrative and myths” in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (US/GB 2014), analyzing how a contemporary science fiction film deals with religious motifs from the Judeo-Christian heritage and narrative. These articles offer a deep exploration of the science fiction cinematic universe as they scrutinize different visualizations of humans dealing with technological experiences, often linked with spiritual and religious quests as they need to tran- scend their condition and existence. The science fiction genre, with fantasy el- ements and superhero stories, is a mirror that reflects the millennial existential interrogations that human civilizations have always had and will continue to have. 12 Hamer 2005. On the basis of Hamer’s theories, Boryana Rossa explains: “VMAT2 gene encodes for a protein that affects self-transcendence, spirituality and/or faith. A mutation in the DNA of intron 7 upstream of the VMAT2 gene coding sequence is thought to be related to people who have faith or spirituality. 13 Evans 1988, 9. Editorial | 13www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1, 7–15