Invited to a festival, film-maker Jean Painlev茅 (1902-1989) was
assured that the organiser would avoid using the word 鈥渟cientific鈥� in describing
his films. 鈥淎vant-garde鈥� was a far better word. So what exactly was
Painlev茅 filming? As editors Andy Masaki Bellows, Marina McDougall and
Brigitte Berg show in Science is Fiction, Painlev茅 was one of
the first to popularise science films and also to film underwater. He hung out
with the great Jean Vigo, drove fast cars and made spectacularly beautiful films
about seahorses giving birth, water fleas and octopuses. And he understood his
audience, making three separate versions of his scientific films: one for the
scientists, protective about their subject; one for universities; and one,
shorter and with music, for the public. He used jazz by Duke Ellington on the
soundtrack of his film about vampire bats鈥攁 cultural first for
science.
Finally, his 10 rules for filming documentaries could鈥攁nd
should鈥攂e followed by any science film-maker today. A wonderful look at
the life and times of a cinematic pioneer. Published by MIT Press, 拢24.95,
ISBN 0262024721.