Mar 17
Uptown Film Center at the Thalia New York, NY
TicketsSarah Rose Siskind
Science Comedy Writer; Founder, Hello SciCom
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story— Hollywood Glamour Meets Hardcore Engineering
Program Description
Science comedian Sarah Rose Siskind will offer a brief, entertaining meditation on Hedy Lamarr, a woman who hopped between worlds the way her invention hopped frequencies: movie star and engineer, hyper-visible and strangely unseen. Her invention led to GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and was designed to avoid detection, unfortunately just like her genius. This 2017 documentary is a thrilling reminder that scientific innovation can come from the most unexpected minds, and that credit is often unevenly distributed.
Film Synopsis
This documentary reveals the Hedy Lamarr hidden behind the famously beautiful Hollywood star's glamorous image: a technological trailblazer whose inventions form the basis of modern WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth systems.
Startlet. Screen Siren. The Most Beautiful Woman in the World. All phrases used to describe 1940’s Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr. Alexandra Dean’s illuminating documentary adds Inventor to the list. Known for her matchless beauty and electric screen persona, Lamarr’s legion of fans never knew she possessed such a beautiful mind. An Austrian Jewish émigré who acted by day and drew mechanical and electronic inventions by night, Lamarr came up with a “secret communication system” to help the Allies to beat the Nazis. Weaving in Lamarr’s own voice from archival recordings, Dean reveals how Lamarr gave her patent to the Navy, received no credit for her contributions, and wound up impoverished in her latter years. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is a film for lovers of history, Hollywood, and science.
-Tribeca Film Festival
About the Speaker
Sarah Rose Siskind is a science comedy writer who turns complex ideas into laughs and explores the intersections of technology, gender, and pop culture. Founder of Hello SciCom and former head writer for Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk, she’s written for Fox, Nat Geo, and the White House Press Correspondents’ Dinner, and has been featured in The New Yorker.