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Anyone can land on the moon with a new immersive film

27 May 2026

Maria Karlberg

The film Once Upon the Moon allows the audience to experience the moon landings in the 1970s as if they were there themselves. Authentic footage, astronauts鈥� own stories and the latest visualisation technology make this possible. Produced at Visualization Center C in Norrköping, the film will be shown worldwide.

A view of a space shuttle flying over the audience in the dome theatre. Photographer: Thor Balkhed
When Once Upon the Moon is shown in the theatre, the audience is literally at the centre.

鈥�Once Upon the Moon brings back a lot of the feeling of actually being in space,鈥� said Marcus Wandt, one of the astronauts featured.

A scientific time capsule

Unlike traditional films, Once Upon the Moon is shown in a dome theatre, where the image fills the entire field of view and the audience is literally at the centre. Historical archival footage from the Apollo expeditions has been placed exactly where it was actually recorded, through visualisation technology in high-resolution scientific models of the moon.

鈥淲e have created a scientific time capsule for one of the most important events of the twentieth century, which can be valuable to humanity in a hundred or even a thousand years,鈥� says executive producer Anders Ynnerman, professor of scientific visualisation at Link枚ping University and consortium director of Visualization Center C.

Wanting to take more people back to the moon

Three people standing in front of the text Once Upon the Moon. Thor Balkhed
Director Carter Emmart, producer Anna 脰st and executive producer Anders Ynnerman.
Director Carter Emmart is internationally renowned in astrovisualisation and has long had the vision to take more people back to the moon. The idea became a reality when he came to Visualization Center C and Link枚ping University as a visiting professor within the framework of Peter Wallenberg鈥檚 visiting professorship in visual science communication.

鈥淚 hope it will engage people, experiencing the Moon and by seeing our own planet from there,鈥� Carter Emmart says.

He mentions the iconic image Earthrise, taken during an Apollo mission and for the first time showing Earth as a vulnerable, lonely planet in space. This image is one of many taken with Hasselblad cameras during the expeditions, and they are an important feature of Once Upon the Moon. The production has received funding from the Hasselblad Foundation.

World premiere

The film premiered on 21 May at Universeum in Gothenburg. Universeum鈥檚 dome theatre is one of five in Sweden that collaborate within the framework of Wisdome, a national initiative in visual science communication through, among other things, dome films.

鈥淲e know that young people鈥檚 interest in technology and science is waning. We want to induce a sense of 鈥榳ow鈥� in the next generation of researchers and engineers and show how exciting science can be,鈥� says Anders Ynnerman.

Astronauts from different eras

A man in a blue ESA jacket (Marcus Wandt). Thor Balkhed
Marcus Wandt is one of the astronauts in the film.
Once upon the Moon features interviews with two of the Apollo astronauts who have been to the moon 鈥� Charles Duke and Harrison Schmitt 鈥� and two modern astronauts 鈥� Christina Koch and Marcus Wandt. Together, they connect the moon landings with the moon journeys of today and tomorrow.

鈥淲e need to go back to the moon to be able to travel to Mars,鈥� Marcus Wandt said.

When asked if he would like to go to the moon, he replied:

鈥淎产蝉辞濒耻迟别濒测!鈥�

Translation: Anneli Mosell

A view of the moon through a window in a space station. OpenSpace, Visualiseringscenter C
Visualisation of Earth rising over the Moon's surface, based on the iconic photograph taken by Bill Anders during the Apollo 8 mission.

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Upcoming shows

After the world premiere, Once Upon the Moon will be shown at Universeum in Gothenburg, Visualization Center C in Norrk枚ping (premiere on 27 May), Curiosum in Ume氓 (premiere on 17 June), the Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm (premiere on 27 June) and Malm枚 Museum (premiere in the autumn of 2026).

The international premiere will take place at the IPS Fulldome Festival 2026 in Japan on 25鈥�26 June.

The world premiere in pictures

A man and a woman standing in front of a sign with Once Upon the Moon written on it Photographer: Thor Balkhed

Professor Anders Ynnerman in conversation with Christina Backman, Chairman of the Board of the Hasselblad Foundation which contributed funding to Once Upon the Moon.

A group of people mingling. Photographer: Thor Balkhed

Mingle before the world premiere at Universeum in Gothenburg. Director Carter Emmart raises a toast.

Three people being photographed with a mobile camera Photographer: Thor Balkhed

Invited guests from Astronomisk Ungdom took the chance to be photographed with Marcus Wandt.

Astronauts on the screen of the dome theatre. Photographer: Thor Balkhed
The journey to the moon has begun.
A group of people wearing 3d glasses. Photographer: Thor Balkhed

3D glasses enhanced the experience.

Three people on stage in the dome theatre. Photographer: Thor Balkhed
Fireside chat with Swedish astronauts Marcus Wandt and Christer Fuglesang, moderated by Anders Ynnerman.

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About the making of Once Upon the Moon

The film features astronauts Charles Duke, Harrison Schmitt, Christina Koch and Marcus Wandt (Honorary Doctor at LiU), as well as Torie Roseborough, computer analyst with The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Team, and Jacob Kegerreis, planetary scientist at Imperial College London. The film鈥檚 producer Anna 脰st is a LiU alumna.

The film uses the research software OpenSpace to combine scientific data and precision with historical documentation and immersive storytelling. The project manager for OpenSpace is Alexander Bock, associate professor at LiU.

About WISDOME

Based on unique research on visualisation and interactive environments, Wisdome fosters creativity, lifelong curiosity and a passion for science. Wisdome is a collaboration between five prominent science centres in Sweden 鈥� Visualization Center C in Norrk枚ping, Universeum in Gothenburg, the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, Malm枚 Museum and Curiosum in Ume氓 鈥� and was launched with the support of a jubilee donation from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Black and white picture of a man on the moon wearing a space suit

The Hasselblad Foundation supports dome film about the moon landings

Visualization Center C in Norrköping is creating a new 3D full dome production to take the audience on a journey back to the moon landings. The Hasselblad Foundation has contributed funding for the film Once Upon the Moon.
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