Dark Side of the Moon (2002)
Dark Side of the Moon is a French mockumentary directed by William Karel. Originally aired on the Franco-German television network Arte in 2002 under the title Opération Lune, the film presents that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and recorded in a studio by the CIA with assistance from director Stanley Kubrick.
Here’s a summary of the mockumentary’s plot:
- Inception of NASA’s Lunar Program:
- The film begins by emphasizing the issues related to NASA’s lunar program funding and the necessary public support.
- NASA views Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey as the prototype for the kind of show the space program needs to gain public backing.
- Consequently, they design spacesuits and vessels in a Hollywood fashion, even hiring 700 Hollywood technicians to create the desired image.
- Apollo 11 Disappointment:
- Despite a successful landing, Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk footage is unusable.
- The inability to capture images on the Moon had been anticipated by Richard Nixon and his staff.
- In response, they decide to fake the lunar pictures, using the set of 2001 that was still available in London.
- Kubrick reluctantly directs the fake footage himself, appalled by the lack of skills of the CIA crew.
- KGB’s Realization and Nixon’s Fear:
- The KGB discovers that Apollo 11 did indeed land on the Moon, but it was physically impossible to take pictures in the lunar environment.
- They find a photo showing a portrait of Kubrick lying on the false lunar soil in the studio.
- After the success of the fake footage, Nixon becomes fearful that the truth might be discovered.
- In a drunken state, he orders CIA Colonel George Kaplan to dispose of the entire film crew. However, it’s too late to cancel the order, and chaos ensues.
Dark Side of the Moon tells a spellbinding story, blurring the lines between fact and fiction, leaving spectators questioning the reliability of the presented speech in media.
