Many physicists and scientists believe the only hope for future life on Earth is fusion. This is the story of the most complex machine ever invented, the hydrogen fusion energy facility, currently being built out of a million pieces in southern France
Date/Time: May 13 2017, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Vancouver, The CinemathequeCost: $13.00
Find tickets: here
Mila Aung-Thwin, Van Royko | Canada | 2017 | 80 minutes
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), a public project funded by a coalition of countries, will either solve our energy problems or be the most expensive failure in history.
Progress has slowed due to political considerations as well as scientific challenges. Meanwhile, funding has also dwindled. A couple of small private companies are trying to use outsider creative thinking to achieve the goal of fusion. Will their lack of bureaucracy and streamlined operations allow them to succeed while ITER lags? Will this be a story of the triumph of the little guy? Is fusion a scam or a pipe dream? American journalist Charles Seife offers some essential historical context, sketching out the big picture examination of fusion, including the concept of a fusion conman!
Let There Be Light explains the complex science needed to make this theoretical process become a reality. Science, history, politics, and visionary personalities combine with panache to achieve just the right ‘planetarium’ feel without getting cheesy. Archival footage and animation are also employed to great visual (and often hilarious) effect. Buckle up for a journey beyond the frontiers of science and technology with some sexy sub-particles. The stakes couldn’t get any higher. -KR
In the words of the original documentary rebel Chris Marker: “Rarely has reality needed so much to be imagined.” In an increasingly chaotic world, documentary comes to the rescue, offering radical reinvention, brave new ideas for the future, and a flinty and unyielding form of hope.
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