Community News Archive
Einstein gets animated
Institute of Physics
04 April 2005
celebratory film weekend exploring both Einstein's and science's screen images
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd April, Watershed, 1 Canon's Road, Harbourside, Bristol
As part of Einstein Year, Watershed and Institute of Physics Publishing are running a weekend of discussions and screenings to explore Einstein's impact on the arts and cinematic imagination.
Einstein Year is a celebration of physics and its relevance to all our lives and the festival taking place at Watershed, a harbour side arts venue in Bristol, will help demonstrate this through the medium of film.
A highlight of the weekend is a programme of short animated films created by third-year students from the University of the West of England (UWE). This is a chance to experience on the big screen the students' response to the work of Einstein throughout his extraordinary career. There are interpretations around Brownian motion and relativity but the appeal is in their unique presentation.
UWE was originally approached last year by the Institute of Physics Publishing to see if they could collaborate in some way to help celebrate Einstein Year. After discussion it was decided to offer the project as an open call to a third year animation group.
Five film makers are taking part. Heather Sands and Elaine Ormiston have collaborated to produce an exquisite model animation of Einstein at a press conference. Lucy Baker has devised two hand-drawn films based upon Einstein’s thoughts on light bending and his speed-mass-velocity work. Tom Readdy has produced an imaginative film of Einstein, bored, working in an office, and what occurs there. Mauricio Orjeula has made a multimedia film around Einstein’s’ work with Brownian motion and particles of different sizes colliding.
John Parry Senior Lecturer at UWE and the coordinator of the project said “This has been a great opportunity for the students to make a real piece of animation for a real client and for a real event. It has allowed the students to demonstrate their understanding of science and the universe as explored by Einstein and the work he carried out in his marvellous year of 1905. The project enlightened us all about the principles of physics and how they might be presented creatively and originally.”
There will be a host of other activities taking place over the weekend including two panel discussions: 'Why Einstein Still Matters' and 'Einstein's Impact on the Arts and the Cinematic Imagination'. There will also be screenings of the cult 'Donnie Darko' and a double bill of both the short film 'La Jetee' and the feature it inspired: '12 Monkeys'; reflecting the theme of science and film.
Also to be shown is 'Riddles of the Dead: The Secret of Einstein's Brain', directed and produced by physicist Dr Jim Al-Khalili and neurophysiologist Dr Mark Lythgoe and 'The Story of the Man by his Friends' which is a rare opportunity to see some early footage about Einstein.
For full programme information including dates and times, click here
Ticket prices: £3.00 full / £2.00 concessions
To book tickets call Watershed Box Office on 0117 927 5100