Apollo 11: 5 Films You Need To See On Its 50th Anniversary

Yes, First Man could be the best approach to what it really felt to be the first to step onto another world. But the ultimate experience of witnessing such an event from down here on Earth, in full detail, is offered to us by a documentary called Apollo 11. It is the result of a joint effort between NASA, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and CNN, who entrusted director Todd Douglas Miller with the task of producing the film.

This year, the production team finally presented a documentary devoid of narration, interviews or CGI recreations of the event. The entire film is composed only of footage filmed during the Apollo 11 mission, both on Earth and on the Moon. The most remarkable things about this film are, on the one hand, the amount of never-seen-before footage it displays. We have the opportunity to see previously unreleased recordings of the space journey and the incessant work in the Mission Control Center.

On the other hand, all the recordings were restored to obtain a high, cinematographic quality of image and sound, fairly superior to what could be seen on television at the time. This is in turn enhanced by an excellent soundtrack that provides emotion, suspense, and relief just when the film needs it.

There are several moments in the movie, such as the takeoff of the Saturn V rocket and the moon landing, which will certainly give you goosebumps. In the words of the film critic Kevin Maher: “Find this film now. Find it on the biggest possible screen, accompanied by the best, loudest sound. And sit back and marvel.”