Vincent Costus, Director of the Study and Information Group on Unknown Space Phenomena (Geipan), spoke about the hit series UFO(s) broadcast on Canal+, which was inspired by the work of these strange “hunters”.
The series UFO(s) on Canal + revolves in the heart of Geipan, how did you meet?
The TV project goes back several years, I wasn’t a director of Geipan yet, but there was a very constructive approach on both sides. The series directors were curious to come and see how we worked, and for our part we welcomed their novel proposal with great interest. The series also takes well on the context and the small team we are, in particular the assistant character and the computer scientist, but the investigations and characters that have been shown are clearly not representative of reality. At the same time I tell myself that we are the only profession that makes people laugh, and we don’t necessarily have to accept it easily. We are engineers, not clowns.
How do you judge the outcome of this very strange fantasy?
We have a double reading. First as a simple spectator. It’s a really good comedy. It is comical, well photographed, light and funny. Then there’s Geipan’s Pro Reader, which puts our style and knowledge into perspective. From this point of view, there is a real respect for our profession, our image and the values of consideration for witnesses. Well, the characters and the issues that were dealt with remain from fiction. Our daily life is not the life of the screen. In this series, there are a lot of field investigations. We are behind the computer more. Sorry if I ruined a legend. But in the end, the result is good with us.
Could this media exposure contribute to popularizing Geipan?
Of course, but first of all, I invite everyone to go and watch the Geipan website so that they do not perpetuate the stereotypes of the 70s that the series enjoys. Laughing at UFOs is very good, in Geipan … a little less. It must be said that everyone is welcome on our site as we publish our surveys with complete transparency. Netizens will be able to discover the amount and variety of requests from the public, and they’ll be able to see that we’re actually doing the science. It is important to popularize our work.
