Dark Side of the Moon (documentary)
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Dark Side of the Moon is a French mockumentary by director William Karel which originally aired on Arte in 2002 with the title Operation Lune. The basic premise for the film is the conspiracy theory that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and actually recorded in a studio by the CIA, with help from director Stanley Kubrick. It features some surprising guest appearances, most notably by Donald Rumsfeld, Dr. Henry Kissinger, and Stanley Kubrick`s widow.
Plot summary
The tone of the documentary begins with low key revelations of NASA working closely with Hollywood at the time of the Moon landings. Over the course of the tale, Karel postulates that not only did Kubrick help the USA fake the moonlandings, but the celebrated film maker was eventually killed by the CIA to cover up the truth. First hand testimony backing these claims come from Rumsfeld and Dr. Kissinger which lends credence to the story.
It is finally revealed that this is a mockumentary as the end credits roll over a montage of 'blooper' reels with the principal participants cracking up over the absurdity of their lines, or questioning if particular lines will 'give it away' too early. Besides being a comedic documentary it is also an exercise in Jean Baudrillard's theories of hyperreality.
The Australian airdate for this film on SBS television was April 1st. (assumed to not be a coincidence).