Directed by Rob Sitch and photographed by Graeme Wood, the film had its American premiere at this year s Sundance Film Festival. As they prepare the dish to transmit the historic broadcast of the Apollo XI moon landing, the technicians discover that they ve lost the signal, and must scramble to find the astronauts before NASA discovers their error. The Dish is Wood s fourth feature, following Ghosts of the Civil Dead, Say A Little Prayer and Envy. The cinematographer got his start shooting television commercials, documentaries and music videos. When he read the script for The Dish, he immediately envisioned a warm, earthy nostalgia similar to old, faded photographs.
Wood remarks with a laugh.
People forget that if you have a film set in 1945, there are decades prior that contribute to the look of the era. Many period films just look too self-conscious. Wood says he is not technically oriented or a truck emptier, which made him feel especially comfortable working on The Dish, a film with an agricultural feel. He notes, I use natural light wherever possible, and I prefer working my film stocks to their full range rather than getting fussy with filters or processing tricks. I like photography to be very pure.