SciArt Magazine - All Issues February 2016 | Page 25

Opening Night of ISFF 2015 at Google NY. Panelists: David Grinspoon, Su Rynard, Jon
Bedard, and Nicola Twilley (moderator). Photo credit: Nate Dorr.

and 10 features were selected from around the globe.
Screenings were held throughout New York City at such
locations as Google New York, The New School, The
Morbid Anatomy Museum, and of course, the American Museum of Natural History. Droves of filmmakers,
scientists, and science enthusiasts alike flocked to these
places and soaked in as much as they could. While traditional documentaries and science–based narratives were
present, hybrid films that merged both approaches had
the largest impact on the audience.
So why does film work so well for translating science
to the public? Nate Dorr, ISF’s Director of Programming, explains:
“Film, by its very nature, is simply the most versatile
medium available. By combining moving images and
sound, it gives us the most options for what information
can be conveyed, and how to convey it. This is particularly true in the case of science, where scientific information spans so many different media, and very often
words are just not the simplest or clearest way to convey
a principle. Scientific visualization is an increasingly vital
data analysis tool for this reason, as well as a tool for explaining the findings once we have them. Science films,
then, can use narration, visualization, and demonstration
to get their information across, or more complicated

SciArt in America February 2016

narrative, poetic, or experimental means of conveying
themselves.”
In other words, sometimes text is not the best way to
convey information. Visual metaphor can go a long way
not only toward bridging understanding about complex
ideas, but also helping people to remember them.
When one considers what grabs our attention nowadays, the visual impact, immediacy, and narrative of film
may be the best way to reach a broader public understanding of scientific knowledge. Particularly in our image–driven culture, film is an important means of mass
communication. While novels let us picture characters
and settings according to our own imaginations, film
places them before our eyes and uses music, makeup,
costumes, sets, and special effects to connect us to their
story. They set a tone that resonates deeply across large
populations. Though many movies are fictional, their
stories echo as truths throughout the world.
ISF recognizes the potential for manipulation within
film and is careful to curate works that accurately portray scientists and scientific methods. “A narrative can
be a kind of mnemonic to keep [a] concept in mind, or
an analogy that familiarizes and explains the unfamiliar,” says Dorr. Of course, narratives can also be used to

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