The Dish

"One small step for man..."

Remember that? Have you any idea how close we came to NOT hearing those immortal words? In this award-winning movie from Australia, Director Rob Sitch ("The Castle") shows us the challenges involved.

Because of the location of the moon landing, the position of the earth, and a host of technical issues, the satellite dish that was to receive this transmission was a hastily authorized one located in the middle of an Australian sheep paddock. This comedy of errors gives us an inside look at the people involved (with various levels of technical expertise), the problems encountered (wind, sheep and sand), and the political situation at the time (the cold war and a mayor's ego).

Part of our crew:

• Sam Neill ("The Vow") is Cliff Buxton, doing his level best to cobble together a workable solution, under complicated and challenging circumstances.
• Billy Mitchel (Australian TV) is Cameron, a local technician whose ingenuity is sorely taxed.
• Roy Billing ("The Chronicles of Narnia") is Mayor Robert 'Bob' McIntyre, in the spotlight (or on the spot) with his first foray into global exposure.
• Bille Brown ("Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries") is the Australian Prime Minister. Yes, even the Prime Minister became involved!

This delightful local view of an international event is interesting, heartwarming and funny. I've owned the DVD for years and loan it out on a regular basis. Rated PG-13 for mild profanity, this provides a peek at an event very few know about. It's always fun to know "the rest of the story."

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Here is a bit to enjoy:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3817537817
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