In a dystopian future that doesn’t appear as far-fetched as it should, a looming, manipulative entity watches over a machine-run society. In the darkness, what’s left of humanity, depicted as fallen angels, clings on. That’s how Raphaëlle Boitel’s “When Angels Fall,” a thought-provoking look into a possible future, begins.

In the show, presented by ArtsEmerson from Feb. 20 to 24, circus, dance and theater combine for a story of human will persisting against mechanical rule.

Inspired by other man versus machine stories like “1984” and “2001: A Space Odyssey,” this narrative begs us to take a closer look at our lives: As our technological reliance grows, will we see its dangers? And, how can we save ourselves?

Boitel, a celebrated French aerialist and contortionist whose family joined the circus when she was young, has a few ideas about where to start: “With art, with beauty, with culture, with love [and] being together.” I don’t have all the answers, she says, but I think we can at least question how we can change things for the better…

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