<img alt=“Creation.jpg” src=“https://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/Creation.jpg” width=“380” height=“240” hspace=10 align=right border=0 />
The makers of Creation, a British film about the life of Charles Darwin, have attracted as much attention for saying it won’t be shown in the US as they might have hoped to get from a creationist protest at a hypothetical US premiere. Today, Nature hosted a screening of the film at the Science Museum in London with members of the production team.
The film, which opened the Toronto Film Festival over the weekend, premiered in the UK Sunday. It was adapted from the book Annie’s Box, a novel by Randal Keynes, Darwin’s great-great-grandson, about Darwin’s personal life. But rumors that it won’t reach the US have set off a cascade of debate, ranging from blaming religious conservatism to simply guessing that the film wouldn’t sell. The Daily Telegraph led Friday with a quote from the film’s producer, Jeremy Thomas: “It has got a deal everywhere else in the world but in the US, and it’s because of what the film is about.”
At tonight’s screening, director Jon Amiel asked the audience to leave the historical inaccuracies to the “anorak brigade” and to enjoy the spirit of Darwin. If the film does make it to the US, he may need to ask the audience for a deeper form of understanding.
The film website: https://creationthemovie.com/
Photo: Screenwriter John Collee, producer Jeremy Thomas and director Jon Amiel at the Nature screening in London. By Tom Whipps.
CORRECTION: Jon Amiel was listed as screenwriter in the original posting; he is the film’s director.