From Omeleto.
A young woman saves the Apollo 8 mission.
TO GO TO THE MOON is used with permission from Gabrielle Roberts. Learn more at https://paperstarshipstudios.com.
Margaret is a young woman working at MIT. Amid a time of great innovation in space travel, she’s hard at work in the mathematics department, working in the emerging field of software engineering.
She and her colleagues are working on the software for NASA, having worked her way up from her initial application for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Building her team from the ground up, she earns the respect of those she works with, though she’s still mistaken for a secretary. But when NASA’s Apollo 8 mission goes awry, it’s up to her and her team’s programming abilities to save the astronauts stranded in space.
Written and directed by Gabrielle Roberts and based on a true story, this expansive, compelling short drama has a well-appointed, elegantly stately visual style that is both warmly classic and nostalgic, evoking what appears to be a simpler time in the past. But Margaret herself is a recognizably modern woman, hard-working and talented in the nascent field of computer science. The world around her, however, doesn’t quite see or recognize Margaret’s abilities or contributions, and her input is often minimized or written off.
As a character, Margaret has an appealing, low-key quality, with a quiet, almost scholarly preoccupation with her computer programming and her job. Her efforts to do her job and exercise her talent keep the momentum moving forward, as Margaret reveals a surprising grit and calm assertiveness to head her department. Actor Dominique Roberts as Margaret has a quiet sturdiness and good-natured politeness in her demeanor, but as she faces down obstacle after obstacle, she reveals layers of determination, confidence and conviction.
As she gains ground and proves herself as a leader, the film’s larger stakes emerge, particularly as the storytelling focuses on the Apollo mission. When the mission goes awry, Margaret’s facility, talents and leadership become critical — and it’s up to her and her team to ensure the safety of a group of astronauts with some expert programming, in an age where the modern computers we’re used to didn’t exist.
Handsomely crafted and well-told, TO GO TO THE MOON lands a satisfying conclusion, one that reflects a character getting her due and a mission avoiding a tragic fate. Computer science and software engineering aren’t typical subjects for a film, but they’re made compelling here, thanks to the clarity of its storytelling and its respect for its real-life subject, who is still alive today and honored as a seminal figure in the history of computing. This film captures the story before the history, helping Hamilton get her due with a wider audience and fostering an appreciation for the importance of the invisible digital architecture that underlies so much of our lives today.
