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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Come With Us to Watch "The Unbelievers"

Here's an announcement from HotDocs (The Canadian International Documentary Festival).
The Unbelievers follows evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss across the globe as they speak publicly to sold-out halls, advancing a thoughtful dialogue about the importance of science and reason in the modern world. Dawkins, the world’s most famous atheist, and Krauss, director of the esteemed Origins Project, are dedicated to furthering the (r)evolutionary idea that science, above all else, should inform man’s understanding of the universe. Filmmaker Gus Holwerda follows these “rock stars of reason” as they embark on a most modern crusade to encourage people to cast off antiquated ideologies and assume a purely rational approach to important current issues. Refusing to engage with those who advance divisive and extreme fundamentalist positions Dawkins and Krauss show how sometimes sensitive and provocative ideas can be discussed respectfully and with intellectual rigour. Fans, including Ricky Gervais, Cameron Diaz, Stephen Hawking, Woody Allen and Werner Herzog, share their impressions and support, while arenas full of admirers and the curious eagerly receive them. As engaging as the subjects themselves, The Unbelievers offers an exciting glimpse into two of the world’s most influential minds at work.

The opening night is Monday, April 29. Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss will be there for a conversation after the show. This event is sponsored by one of Canada's big banks (Scotiabank) as part of their Scotianbank Big Ideas series. Tickets for that event sold out before I even became aware of it and you can't even buy rush tickets right now.

My colleagues, Craig Smibert and Alex Palazzo, invited me to the movies on Wednesday May 1, 2013. We'll be making our way to the TIFF Bell Lightbox for the 3:00 pm show. Maybe we'll have lunch before the movie ... would anyone like to join us? I really like the Oliver & Bonacini restaurant (LUMA) that's in the building. It's bit pricey but it's worth it. There are tons of good restaurants in the theatre district.




8 comments :

Anonymous said...

I thought Dawkins claims to be agnostic?

"Richard Dawkins: I can't be sure God does not exist."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9102740/Richard-Dawkins-I-cant-be-sure-God-does-not-exist.html

You have a chance to take the #1 spot Larry :-)

Diogenes said...

Refusing to engage with those who advance divisive and extreme fundamentalist positions

Why is this admirable?

Fans, including Ricky Gervais, Cameron Diaz, Stephen Hawking, Woody Allen and Werner Herzog, share their impressions and support

I love Diaz as an actress, but she's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

And Woody Allen's a perv. Do they need support from famous people just cuz they're famous? Who next, Kim Cardashian?

Veronica Abbass said...

I would really like to join you and your colleagues, Craig Smibert and Alex Palazzo, for lunch and the film on May 1.

I'll purchase the ticket today.

Veronica

steve oberski said...

Dawkins is just being honest.

Not a concept you appear to be familiar with.

Anonymous said...

Yup. Dawkins has also said that such god would not be the Christian god, since the Christian god is nonsensical ... it was more a statement of the impossibility to prove a negative such as "some kind of god," than acceptance of the possibility of something as ridiculous as the gods believed by the religious.

Robert Byers said...

If the summery is an example it seems it will be full of laughs. I'm laughing.
These 'rock stars of reason" are indeed rock stars. Nobody pays attention to a lost genre. This is a hip hop generation they tell me.

Reason and science always means the opposition is wrong and dumb.
Its not a sensitive way of presentation.
Yet they refuse to deal with the divisive and extreme fundamentalists.
I think that means me or my tribe.

Who are they dealing with then! The reasonable creationists.
Just be more sensitive and in comparison you will persuade the masses.

Its it divisive to introduce accusations the opponents are divisive!?
I think it means they talk to the choir and hope the rest watch the movie.

So these are the exciting influential minds leading the way against God believers and bible believers generally.
This is the best they got!

If it comes free on youtube i'll watch it but I wouldn't pay.
If scotiabank is backing this attack against religion will they allow rebuttal?
If not then Christian cAnada should know where their dues go when banking with scotiabank.

Creationists do it with volunteer money and not the capitalistic establishment using the everyone's money.

Creationists should do more movies and surely would do a better job and be welcoming to all citizens without severe judgement or any.
It seems like a last gasp however of a hopeless hope.

If on the front rows watch out for popcorn thrown by the back row fundamentalists!

andyboerger said...

Robert, this is brilliant!
Do you publish these?

Anonymous said...

Robert,

This is a hip hop generation they tell me.

They tell you wrong. Rock is here to stay. :)

Reason and science always means the opposition is wrong and dumb.

Why of course! Otherwise why would it be reason and science? Their antonyms imply wrong and dumb, don't they? It's tautologically true.

This is the best they got!

Nah, when we side with reason and science we've got reason and science, not just those two guys.

If scotiabank is backing this attack against religion will they allow rebuttal?

Why should anybody want to listen to wrong and dumb? Oh, right, it sells. You would surely buy.

Creationists do it with volunteer money and not the capitalistic establishment using the everyone's money.

Oh sure, this is why they have no tax exceptions and such ... ups!

Creationists should do more movies and surely would do a better job

False, they do stupidly horrible jobs. Have you watched those pieces of crappy misinformation produced by creationists?

and be welcoming to all citizens without severe judgement or any.

Sure, this is why some famous atheists were kicked out from "expelled" some time ago.

Anyway ...