Sloan Science on Screen: “The Pod Generation”
Description
Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor) live a comfortable lifestyle in New York City in this satiric blend of sci-fi and social commentary set in the near future. While Rachel has a corporate job at a company that makes AI assistants, Alvy works from their upscale apartment studying plants as a botanist. The couple want to have a child but pregnancy might impede Rachel’s prospects for promotion. Her employer has a solution to the dilemma in a new biotech breakthrough, a portable artificial womb in which the fetus can incubate. Experiencing impending parenthood at a remove tests the relationship between husband and wife as well as their connection to their “pod baby.” Writer/director Sophie Barthes presents a striking, darkly funny critique of the effects of capitalism and technology on the family.
Audience Note: Dolby Cinema is located at 1275 Market Street. The rideshare pickup/dropoff location is at 35 9th Street. There are no food or beverages allowed in Dolby’s largest laboratory. No parking is available at this venue.
Sloan Science on Screen Initiative
Presented through a partnership between SFFILM and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this screening is part of SFFILM’s Sloan Science in Cinema initiative.
WITH SUPPORT FROM
Biographies
Sophie Barthes made her directing debut with Cold Souls (2009), for which she was nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay Award, followed by Madame Bovary (2014). The Pod Generation is her third feature.
Glenn Kiser is the Director of the Dolby Institute, Dolby’s initiative to bring education and inspiration to filmmakers and artists about the creative use of sound and image in storytelling. He is the host of the Dolby Institute Podcast, now in its seventh season, featuring in-depth conversations with artists about how they use technology. He created the Dolby Institute Fellowships, supporting exciting new films from directors including Rebecca Hall, Alma Har’el, Benh Zeitlin, Taika Waititi, Dee Rees, and Reed Morano. Previously, Kiser was the VP & General Manager of Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound, where he oversaw sound teams on numerous films including Avatar, The Incredibles, Wall-E, and the Star Wars prequels. Before joining Skywalker, Kiser was a post-production executive at Propaganda Films, where he worked with directors including David Fincher, Spike Jonze, and Jane Campion. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.