Paper Title: Science on screen: the representation of science in independent films

Author(s) and Year: Edite Felgueiras and Teresa Ruão, 2025

Journal: Journal of Science Communication (open access [link])

TL;DR: Researchers analyzed the depiction of scientists in short independent films from a science film fest. Overall, they found that while white adult men were the majority of the depictions, the scientist characters had diverse roles, were more collaborative than in mainstream movie depictions, and challenged stereotypes. 

Why I chose this paper: I believe that how scientists are represented in entertainment is important. For many people, films and TV shows may be the only impression they have of scientists. I was one of them, as I didn’t meet a scientist until I took a science course in college. I believe understanding how scientists are portrayed can help with science communication. Importantly, I think this can also help people understand who can be a scientist. 

The Background

The Set

Imagine going to the movie theater to check out the latest science fiction film that everyone is talking about. Seated next to you is a family with a little girl and a boy. As the light dims, the movie starts to play. 

Among the plethora of media that science communicators can use to inspire curiosity in science, cinema is a powerful option. Film is one of the most celebrated modes of storytelling, with amazing visuals, plots, and character building. As such, it has the potential to inspire new generations to pursue science, as well as to inform the public about important issues and prompt reflection and discourse on scientific controversies. 

While Hollywood is still the most prominent producer of science movies, independent films are becoming more popular. Unlike their counterparts in Hollywood, independent filmmakers are not under the same pressure to make films that appeal to the masses and are freer to create works that align with their artistic vision. Thus, in addition to providing entertainment, independent films may offer even greater opportunities to educate and provide social commentary, making them a potentially important tool in science communication.

For most people, movies may also be one of the few portrayals of science and scientists they’ve seen. However, scientists are commonly depicted in a way that does not reflect scientists in real life. Currently, in mainstream Hollywood movies, the majority of the portrayals are of white, adult men, according to a study conducted by Weingart and colleagues, although more portrayals of female scientists are emerging. Unfortunately, both male and female scientists in movies also often fall into stereotypes. 

However, most studies that have examined scientists in cinema have looked at fiction movies produced in Hollywood. There has been little study of independent films, which could potentially challenge the portrayals of scientists in mainstream movies. So, the researchers in this study had one question: “How is science represented in independent short films?”

The Methods

The Script

The protagonists in the science fiction movie have to save the planet, but they need some help, so they find a scientist who can help them. The scientist character appears on the screen. How is this character portrayed? Are they a mad scientist? Do they have superhuman intelligence? Are they sympathetic towards the heroes? Or do they have nefarious intentions? 

To answer their question, the researchers collected short, independent films submitted to the International Braga Science Festival in 2023. To be included in the study, films had to be no longer than 40 minutes, narrated or subtitled in English, produced no earlier than January 1, 2019, and be a final product. The films encompassed a range of genres, from documentaries to fiction. For each film, the researchers noted the following domains: general characteristics, topic, scientists, narrative, and treatment. For the sake of brevity, this Bite will focus on the domain of scientists and topics defined below:

• Topic: Keywords and domains of knowledge such as the biological sciences, physics, environmental sciences, sociology, and more.
• Scientists: Characteristics such as area of expertise, age, ethnicity, gender identity, and others, such as being portrayed as intelligent, dominant, lonely, respected, and caring.

Previous literature had identified classic scientist stereotypes in films such as the alchemist/mad scientist, absent-minded professor, inhuman rationalist, heroic adventurer, impotent scientist, and social idealist. Since these were present in mainstream movies, the authors wanted to see if the same stereotypes were found in independent films. 

The Results

Cameras Rolling 

To the relief of the heroes in the film, the scientist decides to help. She realizes that the solution requires an interdisciplinary approach and recruits some of her collaborators to assist. 

A total of 170 short films made the cut. Of these, 99 were documentaries, 39 were animated films, and 32 were fiction films. Forty seven percent of scientists in the films were portrayed as white adult men, the researchers found. However, when they looked into individual film types, the researchers noted that scientists in the animated films submitted to the festival were mostly portrayed as women. Overall, scientists in the films didn’t fit neatly into stereotypes of scientists. Other than wearing glasses, for example, most did not have the “classic attire,” such as lab coats. Scientists in the films were also likely to be portrayed as interdisciplinary and collaborative, rather adhering to the stereotypical “solitary scientist.”

The researchers also found diversity in the types of science conducted in the independent films, with the most popular disciplines being the biological sciences, the earth and environmental sciences, and physics. The researchers also looked at other domains, such as the locations where scientists worked; these results are further discussed in the original article. 

The Impact 

Fade to Black

The researchers found that while a sizable portion of independent films still depicted scientists as adult white men, the films portrayed a greater variety of science types beyond the classical stereotypes. One example is that instead of working alone, scientists in the films were more likely to collaborate, reflecting the true nature of scientific work. Given the increasing popularity of independent film, the authors suggest this medium could offer a chance to challenge societal assumptions about science and portrayals of scientists. However, they also acknowledge that more needs to be done to have diverse gender and ethnicity portrayals in media. 

The authors also pointed out how their findings could help science communicators understand what assumptions and ideas the public has about scientists. Specifically, they said, knowing the stereotypes and dominant characteristics of the scientists portrayed in cinema can give science communicators the chance to actively challenge these assumptions. For instance, scientists are not only white, adult men who work alone with dubious intentions. Understanding these portrayals and showing more diverse ones could not only promote enthusiasm and trust towards science, but also expand audience members’ thinking about who can be a scientist. 

Together, the heroes and the scientist in the movie save the planet. As the credits roll, you notice that the kids next to you were especially delighted. You even hear the little girl say to the boy that she wants to be a scientist when she grows up.

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Written by Julianna Goenaga

Edited by Mariella A. Mestres-Villanueva, Madeline Fisher, and Krystal Vasquez

Featured image credit: Image by Bruno from Pixabay