Apollo 11 Documentary by Todd Douglas Miller Restores Moon Landing Footage
In January 2019, Todd Douglas Miller's documentary 'Apollo 11' debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, earning $8.8 million. The film showcases newly found 65mm footage from NASA's archives, presented in 4K resolution, comprising 165 reels from Apollo missions 11 through 13, with 61 reels dedicated to Apollo 11. The footage was discovered by archivist Dan Rooney, while independent researcher Stephen Slater contributed thousands of hours of dialogue between the lunar module and Mission Control. Notably, the documentary features minimal narration, only including the iconic line, 'One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' Miller also produced a 47-minute version for museums. Additionally, David Fairhead's 'Armstrong,' narrated by Harrison Ford, premiered on July 12, 2019.
Key facts
- Todd Douglas Miller directed 'Apollo 11' documentary.
- Film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2019.
- Grossed $8.8 million in theaters.
- Uses 65mm footage from NASA archives digitized in 4K.
- 165 reels from Apollo missions 11 to 13, 61 on Apollo 11.
- Footage discovered by archivist Dan Rooney at National Archives in College Park, Maryland.
- Incorporates thousands of hours of conversations from independent researcher Stephen Slater.
- No conventional narration; only historic phrase included.
- Draws on footage from Theo Kamecke's 1972 documentary 'Moonwalk One'.
- Kamecke's footage includes crowd scenes and officials.
- Miller created 47-minute version 'Apollo 11: First Steps Edition' for museums.
- David Fairhead's 'Armstrong' documentary released July 12, 2019, narrated by Harrison Ford.
- 'Armstrong' features interviews with Neil Armstrong's sister and sons Rick and Mark.
Entities
Artists
- Todd Douglas Miller
- Dan Rooney
- Stephen Slater
- Theo Kamecke
- Francis Thompson
- David Fairhead
- Harrison Ford
- Neil Armstrong
- Ryan Gosling
- Damien Chazelle
- Rick Armstrong
- Mark Armstrong
- Karen Armstrong
- Mario A. Rumor
Institutions
- CNN
- National Archives and Records Administration
- NASA
- Sundance Film Festival
- Artribune
- Weird Book
Locations
- College Park
- Maryland
- United States
- Ohio
- South Korea
- Moon