Moon: Duncan Jones interview

To co-incide with the DVD/Blu-ray release of the cult sci-fi, Film Network chatted to director Duncan Jones.

Budding filmmakers are often advised to set their sights low when it comes to making their debut feature; at least when to comes to the scale of the mission. But former commercials director (and son of David Bowie) Duncan Jones did exactly the opposite. He looked skyward for inspiration and came up with Moon, a psychological sci-fi movie starring Hollywood actor Sam Rockwell.

Moon debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 where it generated plenty of buzz before opening to rave reviews and a healthy box office take on both sides of the pond (that, during a hectic summer of blockbusters). Also within the last twelve months, the 38-year-old director has scooped an armful of gongs, including Best New British Feature at the Edinburgh Festival and all the top honours at Sitges, the renowned fantasy film festival in Catalonia.

With Moon, Jones proves that high-concept doesn't have to mean high cost. Though the story unfolds as far away as humans have ever been (see title...), it was shot entirely within the confines of Shepperton Studios on the outskirts of London. That claustrophobia translates into a hugely tense atmosphere on the lunar base manned by caretaker Sam Bell (Rockwell). He only has a computer for company (voiced by Kevin Spacey with shades of HAL from Stanley Kubrick's 2001), but then begins to see visions of himself after a buggy accident.

All is not as it seems, as much behind the camera as in front of it. Talking to BBC Film Network, Jones reveals all about the art of escapism on a down-to-earth budget.

Moon is available on Blu-ray^TM and DVD from 16th November, 2009

Interview by Stella Papamichael

Edited by Kumail Tayyebkhan