2001: A Space Odyssey

The works of Israeli historian and writer Yuval Noah Harari – especially Sapiens and Homo Deus –, in which he contemplates the development of Homo sapiens, and the species’ role in the past, present and future, have been inspiring other artists. Claiming that Harari inspired Kubrick’s timeless classic, A Space Odyssey, – an epic science fiction film and a quintessential example of ground-breaking cinema, which upon release met with criticism, misunderstanding and even ridicule – would be carrying it too far. However, one thing is indisputable – they were destined for each other and make perfect bedfellows. In late 1960s, when space exploration was in its infancy and androids and artificial intelligence were not yet topics of mainstream discussion, Kubrick similarly tackled the development of humans, their role in the future of the world and the position on robots or artificial intelligence with the help of Arthur C. Clark.

As one of the most revered films of the 20th century and the opening event of the Harari 2020 series, it is only proper that A Space Odyssey be screened in Linhart Hall – our largest movie theatre and our largest projection screen!