projects

First Orbit - premiered 12th April 2011

In a unique collaboration with astronauts on board the International Space Station we have created a new film of what Yuri Gagarin first witnessed fifty years ago on his pioneering first orbit of the Earth.

By matching the orbital path of the Space Station, as closely as possible, to that of Gagarin's Vostok 1 spaceship and filming the same vistas of the Earth through the new giant cupola window, astronaut Paolo Nespoli, and documentary film maker Christopher Riley, have captured a new digital high definition view of the Earth below, half a century after Gagarin first witnessed it.

Weaving these new views together with historic recordings of Gagarin from the time, and an by composer Philip Sheppard, we have created a spellbinding film to share with people around the world on this historic anniversary.

We partnered with the Yuri's Night network to show the film at over 1600 parties in more than 130 countires around the world on the night of the 12th April 2011, and with YouTube for a global online premiere event which received over 3.5 million viewings; making it the most widely screened long form film in YouTube history. Now translated by the film's fans into over 30 languages, First Orbit was released in 2012 on DVD and BluRay. Please visit www.firstorbit.org for more information.