‘The Sixty-Year Mission’ Brings the Legacy of ‘Star Trek’ to a New Generation

The Sixty-Year Mission, a documentary directed by Mark A. Altman, brings the legacy of Star Trek to a new generation. The film, which premiered at the Regal Times Square theater in New York, explores the cultural impact of the original Star Trek series, which ran from 1966 to 1969. Altman, the creator of the Inglorious Treksperts podcast, interviewed prominent fans and stars such as Shatner, Simon Pegg, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Mary L. Trump, George Takei, and Jonathan Frakes.

The documentary highlights the show’s representation of diverse characters like Nichelle Nichols’ Lieutenant Uhura and Star Trek: The Next Generation star Jonathan Frakes, who discussed the show's impact on queer fans. George Takei, who played Sulu, shared harrowing stories of his time in an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II.

Altman emphasizes that "Star Trek was 'JFK: Space Captain'" and that President Kennedy's idea of a New Frontier was the final frontier Star Trek sought to explore. Captain Kirk, Shatner explains, was not initially seen as a symbol of this vision by Shatner, who served as an executive producer on the documentary. Shatner thought it was just a "regular paid job" but later experienced the magic of Star Trek, which had an effect on people's lives.

The film showcases how Star Trek remains accessible due to its unique combination of liberal social views and hard-nosed defense policies. Karim Diané, who plays Jay-Den Kraag on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, notes the significance of being the first openly gay Klingon character in the franchise, receiving an overwhelming amount of love from viewers.

Trek also addressed the ethical implications of AI, with the android Data from Next Generation representing an ideal version of the technology that struggled to be understood, both smarter than humans and incapable of emotional intelligence.