The Dish

2000 / Australia / 101 min. / Colour

Director: Rob Sitch

Sam Neill, Kevin Harrington, Tom Long, Patrick Warburton

The Apollo 11 moon landing occurred 50 years ago – an anniversary to be celebrated. Of course, most attention has fallen on Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, but what of the project’s thousands of unnamed technicians without whom they’d never have left? What, for example, of the team at Parkes Observatory quietly getting on with their work in the middle of an Australian sheep farm, who suddenly find themselves responsible for relaying live television pictures of man’s first lunar steps? Their story is told in The Dish, one of Australia’s most deservedly successful, and heart-warming, films. Yes, a few narrative liberties are taken, but aren’t they always? The triangular relationships between the Team (led brilliantly by Sam Neil), the proud Townsfolk and the NASA representatives are handled with great humour and, inbetween things going awry and being fixed, genuine drama. A perfect, entertaining way to kick off the new Season.