This year is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s flight, landing, and return from the moon. In celebration and in partnership with NASA a new documentary is currently playing in theaters nationwide.

Apollo 11, using footage that has never before been exhibited, chronicles the historic voyage to our nearest celestial neighbor. Omitting present day narration and interviews the film utilizes 65mm footage shot by MGM Studios for a proposed film that was never realized, 35 and 16 mm footage shot by NASA and the Apollo 11 astronauts respectively, and original audio recoding for Mission Control, Apollo 11 transmissions, and national news coverage, to create the sensation of witnessing the fantastic venture. Aside from digital process in the film restoration and brilliant on-screen titling, the only modern feature of the documentary is the music, while created on period electronics is all original composition.

I am a space nerd. I was eight when Armstrong and Aldrin walked the surface of the moon as Collins orbited overhead.  I could not begin to count the number of documentaries about the space race, Apollo, and the planets I have watched and this one is the most impact, the most emotional, and the most thrilling. Seeing this massive endeavor on an Imax screen with belly rumbling bass was an unmatched experience. Sadly if you want to see it in Imax also you will need to hurry. It plays in these large format theaters this week only and will be replace by the MCU’s next entry, Captain Marvel.

This movie is fantastic and the landing sequence surprisingly suspenseful for an event that not only happened in out lifetimes but that we witnessed live.