Breakthrough, the rare science documentary that feels like a miracle
-
The poster for Breakthrough, a 2019 SXSW documentary about scientific hero/occasional Willie Nelson harmonica player Dr. Jim Allison. [credit: Nathan Mattise ]
AUSTIN, Texas-"It's astonishing how few documentaries there are about gifted scientists," filmmaker Bill Haney tells Ars about Breakthrough, his new documentary premiering over the weekend at South by Southwest. "Part of it is, most filmmakers don't know much about science, they're thinking about film. But science can be complex, and audiences can be overwhelmed by scientific subjects. If you're not careful, you can make NOVA, which hits your head not your heart."
Ars at SXSW 2019
- SXSWarren: A day later, Elizabeth Warren defends her Big Tech breakup proposal
- In a golden age of SXSW brand activations, at least Game of Thrones draws blood
And while it may not pack in the same amount of information as reading an Allison paper directly, Breakthrough remains loyal to its academic source material in a way that's clear enough for any viewer to follow. The film quite frankly feels a little bit like a science communications miracle in this regard.
Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments