Story

Apollo 11 is a documentary that uses actual audio recordings and historical footage, including some previously unseen images of NASA’s lunar landing. Viewers are given a detailed glimpse at what was once the most dangerous and difficult mission humans had ever embarked upon. Everything is covered, from prelaunch preparations to the intricacies of the mission itself and the astronauts’ return to Earth.

This documentary helps viewers gain a better understanding of the experiences of the three main astronauts (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins), as well as the hard work of the teams at the Kennedy Space Centre and Houston Control. It also honours the countless individuals who played a pivotal part in the mission’s success.

Apollo 11 conveys a sense of what the world was like at the time of the lunar landing and how this successful mission was not only a victory for the United States but for all humanity.

Themes

Teamwork; the interconnectedness of humanity; humanity’s constant desire to explore further than ever before; courage in the face of the unknown; fulfilment of dreams

Violence

There’s no violence in Apollo 11.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in Apollo 11.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Apollo 11 shows some use of substances. For example:

• A man in the control centre smokes a cigar. People give out or smoke cigars to celebrate successes.
• A man watching the launch drinks beer from a can.

Nudity and sexual activity

There’s no nudity or sexual activity in Apollo 11.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in Apollo 11.

Coarse language

There is some mild coarse language in Apollo 11. For example, ‘damn’ is occasionally used.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Apollo 11 is a historical documentary, consisting of actual footage from this unprecedented mission and lunar landing. This movie will likely appeal to space enthusiasts, historians and older, mature audiences.

The main messages from this movie are to reach for the stars, quite literally. The movie also emphasises the importance of teamwork and suggests that anything is possible if you’re persistent, courageous and determined.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include teamwork, dedication, curiosity, trust, courage, hope and gratitude.

This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the importance of working together to achieve a goal. While three men made the journey to the moon, countless others made this journey possible. Had any of these individuals not done their jobs, the journey could have ended quite differently.