First Orbit

First Orbit is a 2011 British experimental documentary directed by Christopher Riley that reconstructs Yuri Gagarin's historic 1961 Vostok 1 orbital flight by filming the same view from the International Space Station. The filmmakers matched the ISS orbit to Vostok 1's trajectory and timing so that European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli could capture the view Gagarin saw on his 1961 flight, combining the new footage with original mission audio from the Russian State Archive of Gagarin's conversations with chief designer Sergei Korolev. Released on YouTube on April 12, 2011 with an original score by Philip Sheppard and screened on more than 1,600 screens worldwide, it reached 1.3 million views within twenty four hours, in a production where suitable filming opportunities occurred only about once every six weeks because of the precise orbital and lighting requirements.