For All Mankind (1989)

About 'For All Mankind'

The 1989 movie 'For All Mankind' is a gripping documentary centered around one of the most monumental historical events of the 20th-century, the Apollo missions by NASA. Directed by Al Reinert, the film provides a comprehensive compendium of NASA's nine missions to the moon from 1969 to 1972. Mankind's first voyage to another world is portrayed by those who went in a unifying narrative tailored from the original mission footage and astronaut interviews.

Making / Production

Under the watchful eye of director Al Reinert and producer Betsy Broyles Breier, 'For All Mankind' was released under Criterion collection. Boasting a commitment to gathering and authenticating historical footage, this labor of love took a decade to filter through countless hours of footage, working hand-in-glove with NASA, to finally put together a vision that truly culminated as 'For All Mankind'.

Actors

• Jim Lovell - As himself, Lovell was the Commander of Apollo 13 and his calm, resonant voiceover guides the viewers through the experience of a lunar mission.
• Eugene Cernan - As himself, Cernan was the last man to walk on the moon during Apollo 17. His narration contributes significantly to the gripping narrative of the film.
• Michael Collins - As himself, Collins, the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 11, lends a sense of authenticity and personal attachment to the narrative.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The title 'For All Mankind' derived from a phrase in the commemorative plaque left on the Moon by the astronauts of Apollo 11: "We came in peace for all mankind."
• All audio in the film comes directly from the actual mission recordings.
• The film took ten years to make because of the extensive process of making prints of the original mission footage from NASA's vaults.

Awards

'For All Mankind' significant acclaim, winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 1989. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Quotes

• "We'd like to uncover a plaque that has been on the leg of our spacecraft... on it, it says, 'Here men from planet Earth first set foot upon the moon… We came in peace for all mankind.'" - Neil Armstrong
• "It's different than anything we've ever experienced... It's human nature; you want to explore." - Buzz Aldrin

Music, Soundtrack

• The ethereal music score was provided by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Roger Eno, setting the right tone for the celestial voyage.
• A renowned composer, Eno's ambient soundscapes create an encompassing cosmos that transports viewers directly to the moon's surface.