What Do The Critics Say?

"Seeing 'In the Shadow of the Moon' brought back all of the excitement I remember experiencing in 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those first steps on the moon. What a fabulous achievement that was: for them and for all of us!" Jeanne Kaplan KAPLAN V KAPLAN "In the Shadow of the Moon reminds us of a seemingly distant time when the United States was not so alienated from the rest of the world." Ed Gonzalez SLANT MAGAZINE "The excitement, majesty and extraordinary human accomplishment of the American lunar program of the '60s and early '70s is rousingly captured in In the Shadow of the Moon." Todd McCarthy VARIETY "With humor, humanity, and staggering images, In the Shadow of the Moon brings home the sheer guts it must have taken to ride a rocket to a barren rock in the sky." Jurgen Fauth ABOUT.COM "We have thrilled to aspects of this drama in the movies "The Right Stuff" and in "Apollo 13", but this British production spins out many more of the most salient developments. A stirring documentary about the experiences of the ten astronauts from every single Apollo mission that flew to the Moon." Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat SPIRITUALLITY AND PRACTICE

"For those of us old enough, it is another magical reminder of how these missions gave us some hope in very challenging times. For those of us too young, this will give you an idea of what it meant to watch those baby steps that led to one giant leap." Leba Hertz SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "A researcher for this production spent years screening NASA footage that was still, in many cases, in its original film cans and had never been seen. The film was cleaned up and restored, the color refreshed, and the result is beautiful and moving." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "I sat riveted watching David Sington's "In the Shadow of the Moon," a documentary where 10 astronauts recall a time and era that made America, and the world, proud." Angela Baldassarre SYMPATICO "It's a satisfying and heartening reminder of what a glorious thing a small group of men once contrived to do. "Shadow" depicts vividly not only the experiences of these brave men but the reaction of a world that was united in wonder at their deeds." Shawn Levy OREGONIAN "If you can appreciate the incredible bravery and intelligence exhibited by these talented men, and if you want to see some glorious shots of our planet from 240,000 miles away, this is your ticket." David Kaplan KAPLAN V KAPLAN "Those old enough to remember optimism and expectancy, and to retain the child's wonder at the authentic universe, will find inspiration here." Donald J Levit REELTALK MOVIE REVIEWS

Meet The Director "The simplest ideas are the best. It came from astronaut Dave Scott, my producer Duncan Copp and his colleague Chris Riley: gather surviving astronauts from every spaceflight to the Moon, and let them tell their stories in their own words. Perhaps the most astonishing thing to me about this project is that this film had not already been made! The best thing about it has been meeting and talking to ten of the most remarkable individuals I have ever met. This film belongs to the participating astronauts, and we salute them. The intimacy of this film springs from the fact that it was made by a very small team: Duncan and Chris, associate producer Sarah Kinsella, cameraman Clive North and soundman Kevin Meredith, editor David Fairhead and composer Philip Sheppard, e.p. John Battsek and myself. The other key to its appeal is that it comes, I think, at an opportune time. Today, in an atmosphere of division and fear, it is good to be reminded of what humanity is capable of achieving. As an Englishman, I am happy to offer to an American audience here at Sundance a reminder of what this great nation can accomplish when it has the courage and the generosity to follow its best instincts." David Sington taught himself how to make films (by actually doing it), first at Cambridge University in England (his major was physics) and then while working as a radio producer for the BBC World Service. In 1987 he joined the Science and Features Department of BBC Television, where over the next 12 years he produced and directed twenty two documentary films on a very wide range of subjects. In 1999 he left to form his own documentary production company, DOX Productions. Since then DOX has made seventeen films which have been shown on the BBC, Channel 4 in the UK, and PBS in the States, as well as by thirty other broadcasters in twenty two countries. Sington has made a number of films about climate change, which have won him a Gold Hugo, two WildScreen awards and the 2007 Earthwatch film award, amongst others. His film "Project Poltergeist" won a prestigious Grierson Award in 2004. "In the Shadow of the Moon" is his first theatrical film since his days as an amateur film-maker." Events That Shaped A world

1957 Neil A Armstrong, Albert S Crossfield, Iven C Kincheloe, John B McKay, Joseph A Walker, Alvin S White, Robert M White seven test pilots from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the United States Air Force (USAF), and North American Aviation (NAA) were selected for the Man In Space Soonest project, a U.S. military initiative to put a man in space. While the spaceflight aspect of the project was cancelled, two astronauts would later reach space. One as a part of the X-15 program and one as part of the Gemini and Apollo programs. 12th April 1961 The Russians beat the Americans into space when Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to orbit the Earth. 5th May 1961 Alan Shepherd becomes the first American in space. The suborbital flight lasts just 15 minutes. 25th May 1961 President John F Kennedy delivers a speech to Congress challenging the nation to put a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. 17th September 1962 NASA selects its second group of astronauts. This group includes Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and John Young. 17th October 1963 A third group of astronauts is selected by NASA. This group includes Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Gene Cernan, Michael Collins and Dave Scott. 22nd November 1963 President Kennedy assassinated. 28th June 1965 Fourth group of astronauts selected by NASA. Harrison Schmitt was a member of this group. 4th April 1966 Fifth group of astronauts selected by NASA. This group included Charlie Duke and Edgar Mitchell. 27th January 1967 Apollo 1 accident. Crew members Roger Chaffee, Ed White and Gus Grissom are killed by a fire in their spacecraft during a simulated countdown on the launch pad. November 1967 – October 1968 NASA launches a number of Apollo Saturn V rockets (Apollo’s 4, 5 and 6), culminating with the launch of Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, in October 1968. 21st December 1968 Launch of Apollo 8 Humans leave Earth orbit for the first time. The crew become the first people to see the whole circle of the Earth. The mission orbits, but does not land on, the Moon. Their Christmas message from the Moon includes a reading from the Book of Genesis, and is heard across the world. Commander: Frank Borman Command Module Pilot: Jim Lovell Lunar Module Pilot: Bill Anders Returned to Earth: 27 December 1968 3rd March 1969 Launch of Apollo 9 Apollo 9 performs the first manned shake-down test of all the Apollo lunar hardware in Earth orbit, including the first manned flight of the lunar module. The crew practise docking manoeuvres between the command module and the lunar module. Commander: James McDivitt Command Module Pilot: Dave Scott Lunar Module Pilot: Russell Schweickart

18th May 1969 Launch of Apollo 10 Apollo 10 repeats the flight of Apollo 9, but this time in lunar orbit. The lunar module descends to within ten miles of the lunar surface. The success of Apollo 10 clears the way for the first attempt at a lunar landing. Commander: Tom Stafford Command Module Pilot: John Young Lunar Module Pilot: Gene Cernan Returned to Earth: 26 May 1969 16th July 1969 Launch of Apollo 11 The first mission to land on the Moon. On July 21st 1969 Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to walk on another world. Armstrong and Aldrin spend a little over two and a half hours on the surface and collected approximately 22 kg of lunar samples. Commander: Neil Armstrong Command Module Pilot: Mike Collins Lunar Module Pilot: Buzz Aldrin Landed on Moon: 20 July 1969 Landing Site: Sea of Tranquility First Step on Moon: 21 July 1969 Returned to Earth: 24 July 1969 14th November 1969 Launch of Apollo 12 Apollo 12 executes the first precision lunar landing. The astronauts land the lunar module within walking distance of the Surveyor III spacecraft which set down on the Moon in April 1967. Commander: Pete Conrad (deceased) Command Module Pilot: Dick Gordon Lunar Module Pilot: Alan Bean Landed on Moon: 19 November 1969 Landing Site: Ocean of Storms Returned to Earth: 24 November 1969 11th April 1970 Launch of Apollo 13 An electrical fault in one of the oxygen tanks causes an explosion which cripples the command module during the outward journey to the Moon. The crew use the lunar module as a ‘lifeboat’ to get them home to Earth. Commander: Jim Lovell Command Module Pilot: Jack Swigert (deceased) Lunar Module Pilot: Fred Haise Malfunction forced cancellation of lunar landing: 13 April 1970 Returned to Earth: 17 April 1970 31st January 1971 Launch of Apollo 14 The third successful lunar landing touches down in the Fra Mauro region of the Moon, originally designated for Apollo 13. Commander: Alan Shepard (deceased) Command Module Pilot: Stuart Roosa (deceased) Lunar Module Pilot: Edgar Mitchell Landed on Moon: 5 February 1971 Landing Site: Fra Mauro Returned to Earth: 9 February 1971 26th July 1971 Launch of Apollo 15 Apollo 15 touches down close to Hadley Rille at the foot of the spectacular Apennine Mountain range. During the first of the ‘extended stay’ science missions, Scott and Irwin become the first astronauts to drive on the Moon using the lunar rover, clocking up a distance of almost 19 miles and returning almost 77 kg of lunar samples. Commander: Dave Scott Command Module Pilot: Alfred Worden Lunar Module Pilot: Jim Irwin (deceased) Landed on Moon: 30 July 1971 Landing Site: Hadley Rille Returned to Earth: 7 August 1971 16th April 1972 Launch of Apollo 16 John Young and Charlie Duke land their Lunar Module ‘Orion’ in the mountainous highland region of the Moon, the first to venture beyond the flat relatively smoother volcanic ‘Mare’ areas. The site is some 7,400ft higher than that of Apollo 11. Commander: John Young Command Module Pilot: Ken Mattingly Lunar Module Pilot: Charlie Duke Landed on Moon: 20 April 1972 Landing Site: Descartes Returned to Earth: 27 April 1972 7th December 1972 Launch of Apollo 17 Gene Cernan becomes the last man to walk on the Moon after he and geologist-scientist Harrison Schmitt spend three days exploring the Taurus-Littrow valley, a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon on Earth. Commander: Gene Cernan Command Module Pilot: Ron Evans (deceased) Lunar Module Pilot: Harrison Schmitt Landed on Moon: 11 December 1972 Landing Site: Taurus-Littrow Returned to Earth: 19 December 1972

The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth and has a diameter of 3476 km. It orbits 384,400 km from Earth. Called Luna by the Romans, Selene and Artemis by the Greeks, and many other names in other mythologies. The Moon, of course, has been known since prehistoric times. It is the second brightest object in the sky after the Sun. As the Moon orbits around the Earth once per month, the angle between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun changes; we see this as the cycle of the Moon's phases. The time between successive new moons is 29.5 days (709 hours), slightly different from the Moon's orbital period (measured against the stars) since the Earth moves a significant distance in its orbit around the Sun in that time. The Moon was first visited by the Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959. It is the only extraterrestrial body to have been visited by humans. The first landing was on July 20th 1969; the last was in December 1972. The Moon is also the only body from which samples have been returned to Earth. In the summer of 1994, the Moon was very extensively mapped by the little spacecraft Clementine and again in 1999 by Lunar Prospector. The gravitational forces between the Earth and the Moon cause some interesting effects. The most obvious is the tides. The Moon appears to wobble a bit (due to its slightly non-circular orbit) so that a few degrees of the far side can be seen from time to time, but the majority of the far side (left) was completely unknown until the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 photographed it in 1959. There is no "dark side" of the Moon; all parts of the Moon get sunlight half the time (except for a few deep craters near the poles). Some uses of the term "dark side" in the past may have referred to the far side as "dark" in the sense of "unknown". There are two primary types of terrain on the Moon: the heavily cratered and very old highlands and the relatively smooth and younger maria. The maria (about 16% of the Moon's surface) are huge impact craters that were later flooded by molten lava. Most of the surface is covered with regolith, a mixture of fine dust and rocky debris produced by meteor impacts. Most of the craters on the near side are named for famous figures in the history of science such as Tycho, Copernicus, and Ptolemaeus. Features on the far side have more modern references such as Apollo, Gagarin and Korolev. In addition to the familiar features on the near side, the Moon also has the huge craters South Pole-Aitken on the far side which is 2250 km in diameter and 12 km deep making it the the largest impact basin in the solar system and Orientale on the western limb (as seen from Earth; in the center of the image at left) which is a splendid example of a multi-ring crater. 382 kg of rock samples were returned to the Earth by the Apollo and Luna programs. These provide most of our detailed knowledge of the Moon. They are particularly valuable in that they can be dated. Even today, more than 30 years after the last Moon landing, scientists still study these precious samples. Most rocks on the surface of the Moon seem to be between 4.6 and 3 billion years old. This is a fortuitous match with the oldest terrestrial rocks which are rarely more than 3 billion years old. Thus the Moon provides evidence about the early history of the Solar System not available on the Earth. new and detailed information from the Moon rocks led to the impact theory: that the Earth collided with a very large object (as big as Mars or more) and that the Moon formed from the ejected material. Synopsis

Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON brings together for the first, and possibly the last, time surviving crew members from every single Apollo mission that flew to the Moon, and allows them to tell their story in their own words. This riveting first-hand testimony is interwoven with visually stunning archival material which has been re-mastered from the original NASA film footage - much of it never used before. The result is an intimate epic that vividly communicates the daring, the danger, the pride, and the promise of this extraordinary era in history when the whole world literally looked up at America. The producers Duncan Copp and Chris Riley spent many weeks in the NASA film library examining cans of film some of which had not been opened for over THIRTY years. This search uncovered many gems, astonishing space shots which have been re-mastered from the original film rolls to reveal the Apollo program with a visual clarity and impact it has never had before.

The Verdict "What makes "In The Shadow Of The Moon" so very special is the way in which the surviving NASA astronauts who took part in the film and participated in one of the greatest adventures mankind has undertaken, make the audience feel as though they too, are a part of their space family. Their revelations about the part they played in what is to date the greatest of mans space adventures are frank and intimate. Their 'matter of fact', no frills dialogue without any hoo ha, draws the audience into their very special world leaving you feeling as though you are right their, travelling through space with them. In an era of computers, SFX and CGI wizardry, this film shows just how raw the technology they used to get them to the moon as back, was. This film is a joy to behold and for many will revive memories of watching those images on TV when Armstrong first stepped upon the Moons surface after uttering those inspiring words, "One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind". "In The Shadow Of The Moon" should be compulsory viewing for students. Re-live the era. Magnificent. 4 1/2 STARS." Crew Bytes "IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON" was .......
directed by Boulder International Fil Festival Grand Prize winner David Sington ["In the Shadow of the Moon"]; assistant director Christopher Riley ["Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets" and "Space Odyssey: The Robot Pioneers"]; Visual Effects by Gareth Spensley ["Silence Becomes You", "Little Box of Sweets" and "Ruby Blue"]; edited by David Fairhead ["Brain Story", "Extraterrestrial!" and "Horizon"]; cinematography by Clive North [TV'S "Escape from Paradise", "Nurses" and "Dimming the Sun"]; original music by Philip Sheppard ["Manchester Passion"]; produced by Duncan Copp ["Space Odyssey: The Robot Pioneers"]. Who's Who?

Buzz Aldrin Neil Armstrong Alan Bean Eugene Cernan Michael Collins Charles Duke John F. Kennedy Jim Lovell Edgar D Mitchell Harrison Schmitt Dave Scott John Young Lyndon Johnson Queen Elizabeth II

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Himself Himself (archive footage) Himself Himself Himself Himself Himself (archive footage) Himself Himself Himself Himself Himself Himself (archive footage) Herself (archive footage)

Run Time minutes Rated G [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Madman Cinema - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.