November 12, 1990 -- ``For All Mankind'' is the only documentary film to be shown during the Wyo Theatre and Laramie Film Society's fall film series this year and it was a dandy.

The film was shot by astronauts during nine manned space flights to the moon between 1969 and 1972 and featured taped interviews with the astronauts. The picture was memorable not only because of the memorable images and music, but the interviews.

I was struck by the fact that the astronauts took time out from their busy schedules to look around and consider things like the vastness of the universe, the stark beauty of the moon and the incredible beauty of the earth, things that cannot be really captured on film. Not only that but they were conscious of the fact that these observations and thoughts were as important as, for instance, collecting rocks on the moon.

I was also struck by the fact that some astronauts felt like the moon was their home, just as the earth had been. One of them said that while floating in space he was not aware of his spacesuit, that the air and water circulation systems worked silently. It was like he was floating naked in space. There were no boundaries.

There are those who feel that man does not belong in space, or on the moon, or on Mars. They say that manned space exploration is a waste of time, that robots can do the job as well, and cheaper too.

The film was a persuasive argument that there are things that humans can see and feel in space and on the moon that no robot can perceive. The film shows the men playing like boys in zero gravity and playing in the low gravity of the moon.

They were clearly enjoying themselves. They were not intimidated by the airless wasteland of the moon. They saw it as beautiful.

At one extreme is the view expressed by Jeremy Rifkin, noted anti-technologist, who said during a visit to UW that man ``has not walked on the moon,'' presumably because the astronauts were wearing spacesuits and couldn't wiggle their bare toes in the lunar dust.

At the other extreme is the view expressed by the astronauts that the moon was their home, that it was life-sustaining while they were there.

The two extreme views are simply this: The earth is our home. It is the only home we will ever have. If God had wanted us to explore space, he would have fitted us with rockets. The other view is that space is the future home of mankind. The earth is too small and limited to hold us. We are a species made for exploration and expansion.

I feel that the latter argument is true, but more than that, if we try to deny our nature by withdrawing into our little tiny planet and planting our heads firmly in the dirt we will surely wither away and die. ``For all Mankind'' is a film that eloquently argues that space and other planets can be home to mankind. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.