Co-produced by ZED, France Télévisions for France, NHK (Japan), ZDF Terra X (Germany), and PTS Taiwan, for several international broadcasters, the documentary is distributed internationally by the independent company ZED, a major player in the audiovisual landscape, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
Destination Moon: The New Space Age illustrates the diversity and quality of ZED’s line-up and catalog, and follows in the footsteps of previous internationally successful documentaries such as Apollo: Back to the Moon (Label News / National Geographic) and Les Conquérants de l’Espace (Roche Productions / France Télévisions).
Producers Christine Le Goff and Marion Papillon, along with Distribution and Acquisitions Director Charlotte Tachet, agreed to discuss the production and distribution of this film with strong international potential.
Unifrance: How did this project with an international dimension come about?
Christine Le Goff 
Marion Papillon Christine Le Goff and Marion Papillon: The project was initially selected as the winner of the “Global Docs” call for projects, initiated by France Télévisions and other international broadcasters including NHK and ZDF Terra X. The Artemis program itself is the result of unprecedented international cooperation: by filming in Europe, the United States, and Asia with researchers and astronauts from all walks of life, we were able to produce a film with an exceptional international scope.
Starting with the 2×50’ version, which will be broadcast during prime time on France 2 [broadcast date still unknown], we’ve also been able to adapt the film’s editing to the various channels’ requirements, depending on their slots and editorial habits. For ZDF Terra X, for example, we reworked a version without any dramatized elements.
Charlotte Tachet Charlotte Tachet: Once the project was launched by the production teams and the first broadcasters involved in the co-production (notably through Global Docs), the distribution teams at ZED rallied to strengthen the project’s international financing and convince several public and private broadcasters, including SVT (Sweden), RTS and RSI (Switzerland), and AMC Networks Southern Europe, who joined the project in pre-purchase. The documentary is now complete and, since MIPCOM, has been the subject of advanced discussions with several broadcasters expressing strong interest in acquiring it.
The documentary traces the spectacular Artemis program, led by NASA, which opens a new chapter in lunar and space exploration by 2030. Could we say that this film aims to bring viewers the experience of humans returning to the Moon?
Christine Le Goff and Marion Papillon: Absolutely, and it’s a long-term adventure! We have decided to combine two timeframes: the preparations for Artemis 2, which are currently underway, with the aim of flying over the moon, and the Artemis 3 mission, which will land at the Moon’s South Pole. There is one persistent unknown: the Artemis 3 astronauts have not yet been selected. Among those we interviewed may be the members of the next crew to set foot on the Moon! All of them are currently training for the missions that await them, in particular the search for traces of frozen water on the Moon, with a view to establishing a permanent base there. It’s a truly exciting moment!
The film is unique in that it combines archival footage, interviews with engineers and scientists, and 3D simulations of the future expedition. How did you come up with this narrative structure, which offers an experience that is both documentary and sensory?
Christine Le Goff and Marion Papillon: We quickly decided to move away from a “traditional” documentary format. Character-driven fiction allowed us to intuitively tie together everything there is to say, since everything is seen and experienced through our character. Like us, Amanda has images of Apollo in her mind, which allow us to appreciate the technological progress made by Artemis, but also the evolution of our societies since the late 1960s. And to understand what is happening today in research centers and training grounds, we needed to visualize the Artemis 3 lunar mission. So we made sure that the “live” documentary and the science fiction story, shot in live action and CGI, blended together in a narrative that was both epic and intimate.
The simulation of the first days of the Artemis mission culminates with the first step of a woman on the Moon, embodied by the fictional character Amanda. Did you want to offer a decidedly feminine perspective on this new space conquest, which has long been recounted from a male perspective?
Christine Le Goff and Marion Papillon: This moment promises to be historic. For the first time, a woman and a person of color will set foot on the lunar surface. With this announcement, NASA is ushering in a new era for the Artemis program—hopefully there’ll be no backtracking—one that is more inclusive and representative of today’s world. The film accompanies this trajectory by measuring the progress made since Apollo and celebrating the collective dimension of this adventure. In space agencies around the world, women now occupy all positions: engineers, pilots, researchers, trainers. They are no longer the exception, but the rule. This first step on the Moon will cement their place and finally give them the visibility they deserve.
The film also invites viewers to experience the power of the overview effect and to question their connection to Earth. Would you say that it carries a message of commitment, encouraging resilience in the face of global challenges?
Christine Le Goff and Marion Papillon: Absolutely! The overview effect is not only particularly impressive cognitively—many astronauts have experienced this strong attachment to Earth when seen from the immensity of space—but it is also a reminder that there is no planet B. Earth is the only place in our known universe that supports life. While humanity is now capable of venturing further and further into the stars, we still need a world to return to. These two messages are not contradictory, and rather than resilience, I would talk about awareness: we have this wonderful ability to invent, explore, and push the boundaries of knowledge, and we have a planet—now increasingly fragile—that is home to wonderful ecosystems. We must embrace both sides of the coin with the same enthusiasm.
What are your international ambitions for this film, whose subject matter, which is enjoying renewed public interest, transcends borders?
Charlotte Tachet: Our international ambitions are on par with this exceptional project. In 1969, nearly 600 million people watched Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon live: a defining moment and the largest television audience in history. Destination Moon: The New Space Age is part of a global revival of this enthusiasm, driven by the Artemis missions, which mark humanity’s return to the Moon. The film combines scientific rigor with narrative power, with spectacular staging that makes it accessible to all audiences. Its contemporary relevance—embodied by the first female astronaut and the first astronaut of color to participate in a lunar mission—gives it universal and inspiring significance.
The international success and distribution of earlier documentaries from ZED’s line-up, such as Apollo: Back to the Moon (Label News / National Geographic) and Les Conquérants de l’Espace (Roche Productions / France Télévisions) demonstrates the vitality of the genre and confirms the global potential of a film as ambitious and modern as Destination Moon: The New Space Age.
At the same time, this landmark film is accompanied by two ambitious immersive works designed as extensions of the documentary:
A 26-minute dome film, co-produced with France Télévisions, NHK (Japan), and PTS (Taiwan), scheduled for release in early 2026. It will be distributed internationally by D&D Pictures (Asia and MENA) and ZED (the rest of the world). A 25-minute collective VR experience, co-produced wit Small Creative, France Télévisions StoryLab, and PTS (Taiwan), expected in December 2025.
Advanced discussions are underway to support the launch of these two immersive works in France and internationally, with a view to the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2030. This project also marks ZED’s first foray into the distribution of immersive content, opening the way to new audiences, writing styles, and experience formats.
