Invited to a festival, film-maker Jean Painlevé (1902-1989) was
assured that the organiser would avoid using the word “scientific” in describing
his films. “Avant-garde” was a far better word. So what exactly was
Painlevé filming? As editors Andy Masaki Bellows, Marina McDougall and
Brigitte Berg show in Science is Fiction, Painlevé 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…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Life
New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ recommends a brilliant take on the evolution of birds
Culture

Environment
Striking photos show how sands are encroaching on oases in the Sahara
Regulars

Comment
Think you have a good sense of humour? So do most people…
Regulars

Comment
Sci-fi horror film Backrooms is a triumph for its 20-year-old director
Culture
Popular articles
Trending New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ articles
1
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
2
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
3
Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening
4
Millions of fossil whale bones found in deep-ocean ‘necropolis’
5
Understanding anorexia’s grip on the brain could unlock new therapies
6
A nuclear war between India and Pakistan could destroy the ozone layer
7
Unpicking endometriosis reveals how it affects more than the pelvis
8
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
9
What to read this week: Katrina Manson's terrifying Project Maven
10
Why we should all take quantum physics extremely personally