Exploratorium (1974)
An Oscar-nominated film with no narration showing the Exploratorium (The Palace of Arts and Science) in San Francisco. It shows many of the exhibits and the reaction of visitors to many of these. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive.
- Jon Boorstin
Rating: 6/10 by 5 users
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Runtime: 00 hour 15 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: short film, preserved film
Depicting the adventures that can be had in a creatively structured museum, this dialogue-free guide to San Francisco's Exploratorium illustrates well the myriad of devices that it contains. Some exhibits are more interactive than others, some emit weird noises but most offer the visitor an opportunity to see the practical application of science in an easy to appreciate fashion. Light, vibration, acoustics, electrical currents and even elementary visual technologies all feature amongst the attractions. Some clearly have more practical functions than others, but what director Jon Boorstin succeeds in doing here is to disabuse us a little of the image of a museum as a place of crusty artwork and inanimate activity. This in an environment that's designed to educate, sure, but in an entertaining, puzzling and rewarding fashion. Judging by the audio we do hear, folks are having an good time and we even get an hint of just how some of the things work, too!
