Filmwelten der Wissenschaften - Seltene Erde erzählen
To mark the artistic intervention "Seltene Erden – 17 Bruchstücke" (Rare Earths – 17 Fragments) by Philine Rinnert, the Netzwerk Naturwissen invites you to a new installment of the series "Filmwelten der Wissenschaft” (Filmworlds of Science) on Thursday, May 7, at 6 p.m.
The focus will be on rare earths and the familiar patterns of public outrage. Technological utopias featuring clean energy, electromobility, and digital connectivity on the one hand. The invisible foundations of this future—the extraction of raw materials that alters landscapes, creates global dependencies, and gives rise to new geopolitical conflicts. Rare earths and other critical metals have become central building blocks of our present and, at the same time, canvases for hopes, fears, and narratives of the future.
But how do these materials appear in the public eye? How do people outside the traditional realms of science, politics, or business encounter them? What images and stories shape our perception of the raw materials upon which the “green” and digital transformation is based? What role do they play in geopolitical issues? Between science fiction, crime thrillers, documentaries, children’s series, and podcasts, rare earths and themes of invisible supply chains, technological promises of salvation, and ecological costs emerge.
In this event, we ask: How does pop culture depict the materials of the future? What narratives emerge around extraction, technology, and global responsibility? And how do these images shape our understanding of the ecological and political dimensions of critical raw materials?
Together, we will explore excerpts from films, series, and podcasts, as well as newspaper articles, novels, and election platforms, that reveal a lively tension between narratives of progress, resource policy, and ecological critique. These serve as the backdrop for discussions on which narratives shape our vision of a sustainable future.
Presented by Michael Ohl, Carolin Glahe, and Julia Diekämper.
When: Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m.
Where: Museum für Naturkunde Berlin
Registration at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/filmwelten-der-wissenschaften-tickets-1985704890782?aff=oddtdtcreator