As a director known for pushing boundaries and exploring the unconventional, Mark Christopher Lee has carved out a unique niche for himself in the world of cinema. His work often delves into the realm of the extraordinary, combining creativity with thought-provoking themes that challenge the status quo. From UFO sightings to paranormal phenomena, Mark’s work explores the intersection of cinema and the supernatural.
In this exclusive interview, we will not only take a look at Mark's cinematic journey and his unique approach to these topics, but also delve into the broader context of unexplained phenomena.
Jake: Let's start with how your adventure with film began and what inspired you to follow this path?
Rate: I started making films because I wanted to tell the story of my band Pocket Gods. I've been a musician for over 30 years and Pocket Gods have been playing for 25 years and with our campaign for fairer royalties from Spotify, Guinness World Records and our £1 million album – I thought it would be a good film.
I made an Inspired The 30 Second Song Movie – available on the official YouTube Movie channel – but then I wanted to focus on UFOs and paranormal phenomena for my next series of films, because apart from music, that was my biggest passion.
Jake: Is there a film you've worked on that you feel particularly connected to or proud of?
Rate: My latest film King of UFOs now available on Tubi in the US is the film I am most proud of. It is the first film with a budget, thanks to winning the Raindance Film Festival Film Presentation Competition, which produced the film and it was great to work alongside the renowned Elliot Grove.
The film tells a really good story, in my opinion, about the little-known passion that the British Royal Family had for UFOs – even the Queen, we learn, took her scientific advisors out in the middle of the night to check out the latest Crop Circle formation! We were also contacted by former Canadian diver Dan Costello, who tells an extraordinary story about Prince Charles piloting an experimental UFO craft in 1975.
Jake: You have explored the UFO phenomenon extensively in your work. What first piqued your interest in the subject?
Rate: As a child of the 70s I first became interested in UFOs and the paranormal after watching Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World Series on TV. That blew me away and then it coincided with the release of Unexplained magazine and I started going to the library looking for books and information on UFOs – it’s not like today when we can pick up our phone and instantly access the information we were looking for – back then it took real effort and determination – 2 traits that will serve me well in the future!
The video below is from a up-to-date documentary King of UFOs about the royal interest in UFOs and paranormal phenomena. The film tells the story of Prince Charles, one of 3 pilots who flew a prototype UFO craft in Canada in 1975.
Jake: During your research, did you come across any case studies or personal stories that particularly caught your attention or had an impact on you?
Rate: What really struck me about my recent research was the profound impact that UFO and alien experiences have on individuals – mostly detrimental – especially in terms of their mental health. It also raised compelling questions for me, such as are these mental health issues caused by the encounters, or is it the person’s mental health that causes the experience? That’s something I plan to explore in the future.
Jake: Why do you think the UFO phenomenon remained a mystery for so long, despite the growing evidence and witness testimonies?
Rate: I think it has remained a mystery because there are those who know the reality and control its release to the public – but they realize that the public would not be able to handle it. They would be able to handle the nuts and bolts of physical ships coming from other planets with other exotic life forms on them – but would the public be able to handle that these intelligences are something much stranger, as if from another reality, dimension, even time.
My studies have led me to this path – that life is much stranger than what is on this earthly plane. There is something beyond the physical plane and this plane sometimes overlaps with ours, causing paranormal phenomena and UFOs.
Jake: As someone deeply involved in this subject, what would you say to skeptics who dismiss reports of UFO sightings and consider them to be mere hoaxes and misunderstandings?
Rate: Okay, I'm a skeptic too! I have a degree in science and I always try to rationalize observations, and many, honestly, are basic to explain, but it's always that 2% that are mind-boggling that just can't be explained by conventional methods, and that's what interests me. You have to have an open mind that anything is possible, but how do you prove something that's ethereal and elusive, I don't know.
Jake: Do you believe there is a connection between UFO sightings and religion, or do you lean towards extraterrestrial explanations?
Rate: Yes, I believe there is a connection between UFO sightings and spirituality. I just don’t believe in the likelihood that beings from another planet would somehow punish us in such a immense universe… How could they?
So I think it's more likely that this phenomenon is something else that has perhaps always been here or is from another plane or dimension of existence and that it has influenced our religions and spirituality. There's definitely something more spiritual to it than just nuts and bolts from another planet. It could also tie into life as a simulation controlled by God out there. I'm keeping an open mind.
Jake: Have your personal views on the UFO phenomenon evolved over time, especially after talking to researchers, witnesses, and government officials?
Rate: My views have evolved over time and I think they will continue to evolve. I am also aware that it can be all consuming and many people go down that rabbit hole insanely. It is good to stay grounded and in the real world – I think there is another reality out there, but we can just as easily enjoy our confined time and do good on this physical plane that we are on!
Jake: What do you think the future holds for UFO research and disclosure? Do you foresee a time when the truth about UFOs will become undeniable?
Rate: As for the future, I really don’t know – I suspect there are private sector interests in the US regarding UFO truth – that they somehow want to monetize and militarize it – some call it the deep state – I’m not sure the likes of Trump or even RKF JR can call them out – they answer to no one. I hope enough good people find the proof and release it to the world – if there is some great interdimensional technology, it should be used for the good of all humanity, not just the US military.
Jake: Finally, what up-to-date UFO-related projects are you currently working on and what can audiences expect from you in the near future?
Rate: My latest film is about the UK's Roswell – Rendlesham, where something landed in 1980 on a NATO base in the UK. We investigated claims that there is still something strange going on in the area, reminiscent of the Skinwalker Ranch in the US – we also took our own equipment and captured the strange, unexplained phenomena on camera, so we are joyful to share this evidence with the world!
We also have the legendary William B. Davis (CSM from The X Files) narrating this film and he was amazing to work with! The truth is out there and we captured it on film!
Jake: Thank you, Marek, for your time.
Image Source: Pixabay.com
