FILM COMMENTS
“I just watched the LIGO documentary and was absolutely delighted. You got all of it: the fundamental nature of the science, the fact that many people have spent the major part of their careers on it, the joy of the people being part of the project, the excitement of the discovery ... the idea that this was the beginning of a new field of science. I don't think I have ever seen a better presentation of how science is done.
— Rai Weiss, Nobel Prize winning creator of LIGO.
“Everything fell in place to make this a great project. But, your ability to immerse yourself into our complex culture and project, distill the essentials, put them onto film and then make it interesting for viewers is truly impressive.”
— Barry Barish, 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed viewing this documentary. You did a terrific job with a long, challenging unfolding.
— France Cordova, Director, National Science Foundation.
“I really appreciate you highlighting all these female scientists and the work they've been doing. Their passion was electrifying!”
— Stavroula Toska, screenwriter, director, producer, production executive.
"What a great film! Amazing timing. An exclusive.
— Michael Young, 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine
"I have never seen a better science documentary. You captured the emotional side of a "Big Science" project incredibly well. The role of individuals in this marching army emerged seamlessly, along with the hopes and fears that drive them to commit to a task of such immensity, complexity, and unending duration. You enable the film audience to experience the heroic human element in this adventure, and what motivates each player to devote a scientific lifetime to this single problem.”
— Richard Isaacson, National Science Foundation program director, 1973-2001
“I cannot comprehend taking on a film on something that, at least for me, is so hard to understand, but you excelled in depicting the rewards achieved by some brilliant and committed scientists who worked so hard to show us the universe we occupy. No easy task.”
— Michael Peretzian, former agent for international screenwriters and directors.
"We watched your fascinating, riveting film last night. Thank you!! Now, I dunno nuthin’ about astronomy, much less physics, but I am always drawn to hearing more, watching more about the universe. Fascinated as I was to learn about this extraordinary moment, I also did think what a tough movie this was to make… But you really did yourselves proud!"
— Catherine Wyler, veteran film producer and daughter of legendary Hollywood director William Wyler.
“I was entranced by the LIGO Documentary and the many dimensions of the imagination it stimulates. The structure and the parallel stories of the science and the scientists was masterfully executed. The ascent to the “emotional peak” in the lives of Laureates was a joy to see and the scientific breakthrough thrilling.”
— Katherine Smalley, veteran documentary series producer at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
“What a special and unique movie! You really captured the way we embody our work, what science means to us and many human facets of scientists. I found very faithful the way you have described the development of the events, and the seriousness and great enthusiasm with which we pursue our research. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful movie.”
— Alessandra Buonanno, director, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Potsdam, Germany.
“Thanks for sharing your remarkable film. It is a masterful presentation: the subject is complex, but you have made it accessible. You show frontier science at work in a lively and dramatic way. You have captured major moments while presenting vital background information. The interviews are diverse, informative and capture the passion of each and every scientist. The whole presentation is compelling from the computer graphics and animations to the cast of characters and their vision. Many, many congratulations.”
— Pat Ferns, “founder of independent production in Canada”. Longtime producer of documentaries and TV series. Founder of the Banff Television Festival.
"I have to congratulate you on the look. There's something about the way that it's shot that really captures what the people are actually like in person. It's beautiful.
— Rana Adhikari, Caltech Physics Professor and LIGO visionary.
"I thought it was really first class. You captured the human aspect of the discovery period. I’ve always hoped that books and films about science would give non-scientists the understanding that science at the forefront of knowledge is a very human cultural undertaking with lots of feeling, drama, emotion, etc. It is not a cold, mechanistic set of activities done by robotic nerds. But often science as a part of culture doesn’t come through. In your documentary it does.…”
— Jay Marx, former LIGO executive director, prominent American physicist
“A dream project, and you’ve done a wonderful job communicating a complex set of ideas in a compelling way.”
— Bill Morgan, screenwriter, director
“This movie manages to make the science behind this breakthrough fun and compelling for those of us who have heard of Einstein and Hawking but have no real grasp of the physics.”
— Sandra Schulberg, Founder of IFP and First Run Features. Longtime independent film producer and executive. Honored by the 2019 Berlinale film festival.
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