- Hubble's Diverse Universe is a documentary that explores both the diversity of objects observed by the Hubble Space Telescope and the diversity of astronomers who use it. Well, maybe diversity is not precisely the right word -- the film focuses exclusively on the work and experiences of racial minorities who have traditionally been (and still are) dramatically underrepresented in astronomy. Pedantry aside, however, the film proceeds by first having its subjects summarize their science interests before launching into more interesting (to me, at least) discussions of diversity, funding, and outreach.
- From a filmmaking perspective, Hubble's Diverse Universe doesn't have much to recommend it. With the caveat that this may not have been the final cut, the general feel is that of an amateur effort. Fortunately, documentaries suffer less from such shortcomings than any other type of film, and several of the interviewees are interesting enough to make it a worthwhile experience. An astronomer named Hakeem Oluseyi, for instance, easily steals the show with engrossing descriptions of his life experiences and a particularly endearing account of his outreach efforts. Eric Wilcots also tells a few characteristically enthusiastic stories, while an astronomer named Marcel Agueros convincingly argues for the value of minority education programs. It's a shame that the women in the film don't stand out quite as much, but at least they're there. Although one goal of the film, as suggested by producer Jarita Holbrook, may have been to make people uncomfortable, I'm glad to see that is more likely to succeed in its other goal, namely to inspire young minorities to become astronomers.
- The film was presented in person by Jarita Holbrook, who actually did manage to make me uncomfortable during the Q&A session. Success?
