Lost in space

>> An obscure bit of Apollo history in the Aussie indie The Dish

by MATTHEW HAYS

Undoubtedly, the most gripping story about the '69 Apollo XI mission to the moon is the one belonging to the astronauts themselves. They actually made the lunar landing, after all.

But an Australian filmmaking team landed on an odd subplot about the successful mission, one that they've turned into a low-budget film about their country's role in the historic event. Titled The Dish, it's proven a massive box-office hit on home turf. "Essentially, this was not part of popular lore before we found out about it," says director Rob Sitch, part of the Working Dog Production Company. "Someone I'd worked with for years brought the story to my attention--I thought it was just a fascinating footnote."

As the story goes, Australia played a crucial role in the telecommunications between the Apollo spacecraft and home base. After their first choice, a California dish was deemed too far off Apollo's flight path, a dish in Australia turned out to be NASA's only hope at maintaining contact (and their only hope to receive live TV footage of the lunar landing). Suddenly, Australia was a very big deal, and the men running the dish (led by Sam Neill) were forced to get along with an anal NASA operative (Patrick Warburton). Screwups ensue, as the crew manage to lose power and, effectively, contact with Apollo XI.

Sitch says he and his Working Dog cohorts have been holding onto the idea for The Dish for some six years. In fact, it was the first film idea they floated, but found that the costs were too great initially. So, they came up with an idea for the cheapest film possible, The Castle, about an Australian family who refused to give up their modest home to an airport expansion project. The no-budget wonder went on to become a major box-office success, earning tens of millions of dollars worldwide.

Surprisingly, despite their early success, Sitch says Dish money didn't arrive that easily. "Films are just hard to get up, period," he says. "Each film is difficult for different reasons. Everyone wanted to talk to us after The Castle, but no one really wanted to sign a cheque."

Help did come after some of the cast started to fall into place, in particular Sam Neill, internationally renowned after his turn in Jurassic Park. "We didn't have the biggest budget in the world, but Neill was attracted to our writing. Basically, everyone wants to work with good material."

Subtle and character-based, Sitch's sense of humour has managed to cross cultural boundaries, with The Dish proving a hit at both Sundance and the Toronto International Film Fest. "I'm sometimes surprised that people in America think the humour is dry or subtle. I think to myself, 'What's subtle about that?' Comedy in America is associated with major slapstick. It's big and everyone knows it's comedy. In The Dish, no one's trying to be funny."

The Dish opens Friday, April 20 at Cinéma du Parc