Science answers at the Filmoteca de Zaragoza
The CAPA (Unizar) and INMA (CSIC-Unizar) are organising the film cycle ‘Cinema and Science II: Supermaterials’ from 12 to 15 November, inviting the public to discover the real science hidden behind some of cinema’s most popular films.
Five free screenings, including a morning session for children, will allow the audience to converse with researchers about extraordinary materials, invisibility, space exploration and technologies that seem like science fiction.
06 November. Would it be possible to manufacture Spider-Man’s web? Are there materials capable of making us invisible? What would we need to survive on Mars? And what if we could wear clothes that never tear or get dirty? From 12 to 15 November, the Filmoteca de Zaragoza will become a meeting point between cinema and scientific research thanks to the second edition of the film series ‘Cinema and Science II: Supermaterials’, organised by researchers from the Centre for Astroparticles and High Energy Physics (CAPA-Unizar) and the Nanoscience and Materials Institute of Aragon (INMA, CSIC–Unizar), in collaboration with the Filmoteca de Zaragoza.
After each screening, scientists from both institutes will explain the scientific concepts behind each storyline and engage in discussion with the audience to clarify which advances currently exist, which are still impossible, and what challenges ongoing research is attempting to solve.
This cycle celebrates that Aragon was the first autonomous community in which the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (Unizar) established a materials research centre (the former ICMA-CSIC-Unizar, which later merged into INMA). It was founded 41 years ago, on 24 May 1985, after which other major centres opened in Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) and Seville (ICMS-CSIC-US).
Materials determine much of what we are able to build: from smartphone screens to the fabrics we wear, medical devices or space technologies. The selected films were chosen because they are particularly representative of the superpower of these materials.
The film ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ will reveal what lies behind the extraordinary strength and elasticity of the superhero’s web and how researchers are working to develop materials capable of enduring extreme stress without breaking. With ‘Total Recall’, the audience will travel to Mars to explore one of space exploration’s greatest challenges: protecting astronauts from cosmic radiation. Shielding materials and radiation detectors will take centre stage in a discussion on the technologies required to explore other planets.
The classic film ‘The Invisible Man’ will open the door to another fascinating question: Can we make an object vanish before our very eyes? Metamaterials and light-manipulation technologies will show how science is pushing the boundaries of the visible spectrum. The session will also cover the mystery of dark matter and the techniques scientists use to study what cannot be directly observed. The cycle will conclude with ‘The Man in the White Suit’, a comedy about a scientist who invents a fibre that never tears or gets dirty. Its plot will serve to discover advances in smart fabrics, ultra-resistant fibres and dirt-repelling coatings, while reflecting on how innovation transforms industry and society.
A morning of superheroes to enjoy science as a family
On this occasion, the cycle includes a fifth film featured in one of its most special sessions. The screening of ‘The Incredibles’ will reveal the science behind the powers of this famous superhero family. Could a material as elastic as Elastigirl exist? What level of resistance would Mr Incredible’s suit require? Would it be possible to manufacture smart clothing capable of adapting to extraordinary abilities? Through these characters, younger audiences will be introduced in a fun way to concepts such as elasticity, strength and smart materials, accompanied by young researchers building their scientific careers.
Below are details of the session dates, screening times, and the researchers guiding each session. Admission to all sessions is free until capacity is reached, and screenings will take place at La Filmoteca de Zaragoza (Palacio de los Morlanes, plaza de San Carlos, 4, 50001 Zaragoza).
- Thursday, 12 November | 20:00: ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, 2018, 117 min). Discussion with Cristina Piquer, deputy director of INMA.
- Friday, 13 November | 20:00: ‘Total Recall’ (Total Recall, Paul Verhoeven, 1990, 109 min). Discussion with Héctor Gómez, from CAPA.
- Saturday, 14 November | 20:00: ‘The Invisible Man’ (The Invisible Man, James Whale, 1933, 71 min). Discussion with Laura Seguí, from CAPA.
- Sunday, 15 November | 11:30: ‘The Incredibles’ (The Incredibles, Brad Bird, 2004, 115 min). Children’s and family session with a discussion led by Lucía García Recaredo and Álvaro Cacicedo, from INMA.
- Sunday, 15 November | 20:00: ‘The Man in the White Suit’ (The Man in the White Suit, Alexander Mackendrick, 1951, 84 min). Discussion with Francisco Balas, from INMA.
