When Rob Lewis saw an image of a family portrait lying on the surface of the moon, he realized there was a story behind the photograph smiling down on us still. The family is that of astronaut Charlie “Gee Whiz” Duke who left the photo there April 24, 1972 when he became the tenth and, at 36, the youngest man to walk on the moon. LUNAR TRIBUTE is the story of that photo and Charlie’s journey to the moon and back.

Now 81, Brigadier General (Ret) Charles Duke recounts his Apollo 16 mission from blast off to splash down. Duke was a test pilot and flight instructor in the USAF before joining NASA in1966. He served as support crew for Apollo 10, 11 and 13 before getting the opportunity to pilot the Lunar Module for Apollo 16. For a pilot, adventurer, and an explorer this was a once in a lifetime opportunity he didn’t want to miss. “The blackness of space is probably one of the most indelible memories of my life,” recalls Duke.

Drummer Jojo Mayer becomes an astronaut of a different sort, interpreting the G-forces of takeoff, the weightlessness of space, the lightness and the darkness of space. Mr. Mayer’s beat is as nuanced as his journey from free jazz to his current project, the band Nerve.

Incorporating thousands of hi-definition images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) with modern CGI technology, the moon itself becomes the third character in this 40-minute film. LROC has been gathering images since 2009, including mapping the dark side of the moon. In LUNAR TRIBUTE the drums of Mr. Mayer and Gen. Duke’s personal recollections guide the viewer through this stunning and awe inspiring vista of the lunar surface.