University of Glasgow researchers have teamed up with the Glasgow Science Festival for a screening and discussion of the 2009 sci-fi movie Moon on Tuesday June 9.

The film, directed by Duncan Jones, stars Sam Rockwell as a lonely maintenance engineer working a solo mission on a lunar mining station. Nearing the end of his yearlong stint on the moon, he finds that the station hides a sinister secret which throws his sense of self into crisis.

The Glasgow Film Theatre will host clinical psychologist Professor Andrew Gumley and astrophysicists Dr Euan Bennet and Graham Kerr to discuss the mental and physical implications of space travel.

Prof Gumley said: “Moon raises many fascinating questions about the psychological effect of isolation, the importance of our relationships with others, and the potential impact on mental health. I’m very much looking forward to discussing these issues with the audience at the GFT.

Dr Bennet said: “The near future that the film depicts is actually quite plausible – Sam Rockwell’s character is mining for Helium-3, a source of energy locked in moon rocks which could help us meet our energy demands on Earth.”

Mr Kerr said: “NASA have a long-term plan for settling on other planets, with Mars likely to be the site of our first off-world colony. Humans have evolved to adapt to conditions on Earth, so there are many physical obstacles to overcome in exploring space, including radiation exposure and securing adequate supplies of food and oxygen, and Moon does a great job of dramatising some of the mental, physical and moral questions raised by space travel.”

The screening and discussion will be held at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Tuesday 9 June between 5:50pm and 8:20pm. Tickets are £8 (£7 concessions) and can be booked at ow.ly/NHjzk

Media enquiries: ross.barker@glasgow.ac.uk / 0141 330 3535

First published: 3 June 2015

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