16 Jun The importance of science on the big screen
Hear what our SCINEMA judges have to say about the importance of presenting science on the big screen.
SCINEMA is all about putting the science in cinema. But science in film is about more than entertaining audiences; it’s about creating conversations.
For cancer biologist Darren Saunders, science in film is about encouraging conversation surrounding ethics in science.
“There’s real power in film, both in the short form and the long form to really explore the narrative and the emotion behind a lot of these issues.”
“Why we do them? Should we do them? What are the implications on humans of doing these things? Film is really nice way to explore that,” he says.
Dr Lisa Bailey from MOD says that pop culture is often the way in which people are first exposed to concepts surrounding science.
“My understanding of genetic engineering came from Jurassic Park that I saw when I was 13 and it’s the first place that a lot of people see scientists portrayed,” she says.
Another key importance of science on the big screen is seeing women portrayed in STEM fields.
“I always talk about Scully being my ultimate woman in science! That’s who I saw growing up on the TV and who was my role model of what a woman scientist looked like and that’s who I wanted to be!”
Swinburne University of Technology astrophysicist and Lead Scientist of the Royal Institution of Australia, Alan Duffy, says that science on the big screen is inspiring.
“This is where action heroes are seen. This is where people imagine different worlds. That’s why it’s so important that we get to see science where Hollywood blockbusters are shown.”
“We can imagine bigger things. We can learn about our world. We can be inspired to do the extraordinary. And best of all, it’s all real!”