Cambridge Festival of Film
Sit back, grab a snack and enjoy some inspiring films from past Cambridge Festivals. From a chat with a NASA Astronaut to politics, science and more...
2025
Philippe Sands: On Impunity, Pinochet and Patagonia
In the heart of Santiago, the infamous 38 Londres Street becomes the haunting backdrop for a riveting tale that intertwines the arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London, the post-war life of senior SS officer Walther Rauff in Chilean Patagonia and the sinister connections between the two men. Rauff, responsible for the wartime horrors of mobile gas vans, flees justice after the war and finds an unlikely refuge in Chile. Settling in Punta Arenas, he manages a king crab cannery, seemingly far removed from his dark past. But as rumours swirl about Rauff’s involvement with Pinochet’s secret intelligence services and the disappearances that plagued Chile, a chilling narrative unfolds.
Your Life Is Manufactured Talk: How We Make Things, Why It Matters and How We Can Do It Better
Professor Tim Minshall discusses his new book Your Life Is Manufactured: How We Make Things, Why It Matters and How We Can Do It Better We live in a manufactured world. Unless you are currently floating naked in space, you are right now in direct contact with, or using or consuming manufactured products – from clothing to furniture, phones to food. And yet the process by which these things appear in our lives is virtually invisible. How often do we stop to think: where do all the things we buy and use actually come from? This talk will take you on a journey through the world of manufacturing and its transformational influence on our lives – and the world around us.
The Ideological Brain: Exploring the Science of Susceptible Minds: with Dr Leor Zmigrod
Dr Leor Zmigrod is a prize-winning scientist and pioneer in the field of political neuroscience and psychology. Her research centres on the cognitive, emotional, and neurobiological factors that increase people’s susceptibility to extreme ideologies – as well as the characteristics that make people more resilient and creative in the face of rigid ways of thinking. At the Cambridge Festival, Leor will discuss her new book, The Ideological Brain, which is an authoritative, accessible, and playful examination of how ideologies take hold of our brains, fundamentally changing the way we think, act and interact with others.
How can we harness the power of AI for public benefit?
Despite rapid progress in AI, there remains a significant gap between the potential of these technologies and our ability to deploy them for public good. Join ai@cam for this panel discussion as we bring together leading experts and local government officials to explore how artificial intelligence could transform public service delivery and address real-world challenges in local government.
Professor David Spiegelhalter: The Art of Uncertainty: Living with Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck
We live in a world where uncertainty is inevitable. How should we deal with what we don’t know? And what role do chance, luck and coincidence play in our lives? Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter has spent his career dissecting data in order to understand risks and assess the chances of what might happen in the future. In his recent book The Art of Uncertainty, he gives readers a window onto how we can all do this better.
From sponges to AI: New technologies for finding cancer early
The Early Cancer Institute at the University of Cambridge is the only institute in the UK solely dedicated to early cancer research – how and why cancers develop; who may be most at risk of developing them; and how we can catch them early, before they have had chance to grow and spread. This talk, presented by two of the research group leaders in the Institute, will outline some of the innovations that are currently being developed to improve early cancer detection.
The Impossibility of Whales: How studying the genomes of other species could help us stay healthier
Why do some animals, like whales, live exceptionally long lives free from many age-related diseases? Recent genomic breakthroughs, pioneered right here in Cambridge, allow us to study how cells in different species accumulate genetic mutations over time, which can lead to diseases like cancer and possibly even influence ageing. In this engaging talk, explore how certain animals seem to have evolved superior mechanisms for DNA protection and repair. Discover how collaborations with zoos and conservation groups are enabling us to explore the DNA of species with extraordinary lifespans, uncovering evolutionary strategies that might one day unlock the secrets of healthy ageing in humans.
“Do we know too much about cancer?”
How can scientists make use of all the medical and research data that we can now access? Is access to more information always a good thing? Or do we simply know too much about cancer? This panel of cancer scientists will demystify the opportunities and challenges created by big data and discuss the new, emerging, and future applications of generative AI and machine learning for cancer. The Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute is a world-leading cancer research institute dedicated to improving patient lives through discovery science. Our researchers are working at the cutting edge of machine learning and generative AI, bringing expertise from across scientific disciplines to understand how we can harness this new technology to bring about real change for patients.
Decoding the Cosmos with Professor Hiranya Peiris
Just a century ago, observational evidence established the existence of other galaxies besides our own. Soon afterwards, it was discovered that the Universe is expanding, driving a profound change in our understanding of the cosmos. In 1998, the prevailing cosmological paradigm was again upended by the discovery that the Universe's expansion is accelerating. Hiranya Peiris will describe some highlights from her journey through this rapidly changing cosmological landscape in this discourse. She will also discuss how laboratory experiments are helping us test new fundamental physics paradigms developed to explain cosmological observations.
The Science of Gardening
How does a seed know when it's the right time to germinate? Why does it grow upwards? How does weedkiller work? What does pruning do to a plant? In this talk, we'll explore the gardening year, looking at the science behind it. It'll reveal the fascinating ways in which humans harness natural processes in plants to make them grow where we want and produce our food.
The Science of Neurodiverse Workplaces
Join the University of Cambridge ThinkLab in collaboration with BBC Enigma for a discussion on how neurodiversity is reshaping modern workplace practices and community dynamics. We will discuss some of the relevant research and insights on accessible workplace design as well as organizational strategies that benefit all cognitive styles. Drawing from both empirical studies and real-world implementations, this event will examine how embracing neurodivergent perspectives can enhance productivity, creativity, and collaborative success in work and learning environments. The session will offer practical insights for employers, employees, and community leaders seeking to create more inclusive and effective working environments.
French fragment of the story of Merlin re-discovered at Cambridge University Library
A fragment from a manuscript of the medieval French story of Merlin the magician was recently re-discovered at Cambridge University Library. It was preserved because it was reused as the binding of a 16th century archival manuscript, a register of property of the manor of Huntingfield in Suffolk. As part as a project funded by Cambridge Digital Humanities, the fragment was not removed from the document but preserved in situ as an original example of modern English archival binding. This implied using cutting-edge techniques (Multispectral Imaging and X-ray examination by computed tomography, or CT-Scan) as well as ingenious manipulations to make possible the digitisation and access to hidden textual parts, and to reveal the structure of the binding.
Why we study so few women philosophers – and how to change that
How many women philosophers can you name? Despite their ideas shaping centuries of thought, women – especially those before the 20th century – are still missing from the philosophical spotlight. In this talk, Tatiana Barkovskiy, a PhD student in Philosophy at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, explores the historical obstacles that side lined their voices and considers how we can begin to bring them back into focus.
Cambridge Festival: Ideas that could change the world
Will we be able to print our own organs in the digital age? What about using our fingerprints to access health advice? Or growing plants that can adapt to extreme climate changes? In this panel event, Gates Cambridge Scholars talk about their work on everything from 3D Bioprinting and how to make whistleblowing less risky for individuals to food security in Africa, biometric tools for access to healthcare and pandemic preparedness. Gates Cambridge is the University of Cambridge's flagship scholarship programme for international postgraduate students and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The event is hosted by Catherine Galloway, presenter of the Gates Cambridge podcast, So, now what?
Prof. Sarah Hart | Life in Lilliput - The Mathematics of Fictional Realms
Literature is full of strange worlds where normality is turned on its head. From the giants of legend to the tiny Lilliputians of Gulliver’s Travels, storytellers have played with ideas of dimension, size, and shape. But could fantastical creatures – like the giant spiders of Hogwarts, or the miniature Borrowers from Mary Norton’s classic books – exist in reality? And what would their life be like if they did? In this talk, Prof Sarah Hart (School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Birkbeck University of London), will explore what mathematics can tell us about being very small or very large, both in fiction and in real life.
What is Fascism?
Fascism was the most consequential political invention of the twentieth century. Its challenge to the liberal, capitalist order of Europe was more momentous – and murderous – than that of communism. The terror and destruction unleashed by the major fascist regimes have left an indelible mark on the course of modern history and our collective memory. The symbols and imagery of fascism remain instantly recognizable, while its ideas have seen a remarkable renaissance in the past twenty years. Despite this enormous impact, fascism has proved strangely elusive as an object of historical analysis.
Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI – Neil Lawrence in conversation with Diane Coyle
As part of this year’s Cambridge Festival, Professor Diane Coyle, Co-Director of the Bennett Institute hosts a conversation with Professor Neil Lawrence, DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge. Their discussion delves into Professor Lawrence’s book The Atomic Human, exploring how and why our fears of being displaced by AI might be misplaced. Contrasting our evolved, embodied intelligence with the technical origins and limitations of AI systems, Professor Lawrence explains how AI can and should be wielded, not just by experts but by ordinary people.
Art for the Sake of Care. Publication launch
'Art for the Sake of Care' is an edited collection of articles contributing to care aesthetics, art research and care studies. The launch event will provide a snapshot of the publication edited by Merel Visse (Drew University, U.S.A.) and Elena Cologni (Anglia Ruskin University), and will also be an opportunity to discuss some of the ideas with the authors.
Exercise Physiology for the forgotten many: challenging assumptions in life and through science
When we think of exercise physiology, it is generally in relation to high-performance athletes pushing the boundaries of human capability. In his Inaugural Professorial Lecture, Dan Gordon will explore how these principles have been adopted to challenge dogma, misconceptions, and assumptions for the forgotten many. Stemming from an initial fascination with what limits cardiorespiratory fitness in a healthy population, Professor Gordon will consider how he has adapted these high-performance physiological principles to support the Down syndrome, female, and diabetic communities. Professor Gordon will also reflect on how his personal journey has mirrored his academic career, challenging assumptions as to what is possible for a person with a disability.
Love, actually: The science of this thing called love
What is love? And can science ever really explain what it means to be in love? In this talk, Prof Viren Swami, one of the world’s leading experts in the psychology of romantic attraction, looks at how understandings of love have changed across human history. He’ll also show how different branches of science – psychoanalysis, neuroscience, biology, and psychology – have attempted to explain what love is (and what love isn’t). Drawing on contemporary scientific approaches, Prof Swami will argue that love is incredibly complex, but also not entirely beyond scientific understanding. As part of this talk, you’ll also learn more about your own love styles and how to be better at love.
Diabetes and Exercise: finding the perfect fit
Exercise is recommended as a way of reducing the risk of both developing diabetes and also the complications that may arise once it develops. But what happens when exercise becomes too challenging due to complications such as neuropathy, ulceration, or poor circulation? How do we make exercise possible? In this session, we will explore the use of new techniques designed to improve physical fitness for the diabetic when conventional methods seem inappropriate or unattainable.
All In Her Mind
One in five women in the UK experience mental health problems such as anxiety or depression. But what really is mental illness, and what does it look like day-to-day, at home, and in the workplace? Why are so many women still struggling with their mental health? And why is it so hard for women to find the kind of help they need? Join doctor in psychiatry, writer and researcher, Dr Kate Womersley in conversation with authors Dr Linda Gask and Dr Rebecca Lawrence on the lived experience of mental illness (and recovery), myths and misinformation about women’s mental health, and tackling mental health stigma.
2024
Cambridge is imaging a better future for us all
A fascinating series of short films with researchers at Cambridge who are imagining the future. These films share an insight into the researchers and their work.
How will AI affect the democratic process?
With elections due in many countries in 2024, including the UK, a panel of experts - Dr Ella McPherson, Associate Professor of the Sociology of New Media and Digital Technology at the University of Cambridge; Dr Melisa Basol, Research manager at Moonshot, a social impact business focused on ending online harms; Jonnie Penn, best-selling author and AI researcher at Cambridge; and journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker - will discuss what role AI will play and how we mitigate any risks. Observer columnist Professor John Naughton, a senior research fellow in the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities at Cambridge University and Director of the Press Fellowship Programme at Wolfson College, Cambridge, chairs.
Cambridge Conversations: What climate change can do for you
Much public talk about climate change is framed around an ever-diminishing time window within which climate change must be stopped. In this conversation, PhD supervisor Professor Mike Hulme and supervisee Madeleine Ary Hahne explore other ways of framing the challenges and opportunities of climate change.
Nothing Ever Just Disappears: Exploring the gay imagination
Radical cultural historian and activist Diarmuid Hester and poet and Booker Prize judge Mary Jean Chan, both from the University of Cambridge, are in conversation in and around Cambridge about Diarmuid's new book, Nothing ever just disappears: Seven hidden histories, on how the gay imagination deals with place and displacement through time and place.
Misinformation, statistics and lies
Kamal Ahmed, former BBC Economics editor and editor-in-chief of the News Movement, is in conversation with the University of Cambridge's Professor David Spiegelhalter and award-winning journalist Marianna Spring, about the manipulation of statistics in an era of misinformation and how we can all be better at spotting false narratives.
Race and society: Have we made any real progress since Black Lives Matter?
Professor Jason Arday will be in conversation with Dr Claire Hynes about race and society, about where we are now, where progress has been made and how much further there is to go. Chaired by Darren Lewis, Assistant editor and columnist of the Mirror.
From science fiction to science fact
What is the relationship between science and science fiction when it comes to our knowledge of the life, the universe and outer space? Astronomer Royal Professor Martin Rees is in conversation with Una McCormack, best-selling author of sci-fi novels, including novels set in franchises such as Dr Who and Star Trek, and former Anglia Ruskin lecturer.
Cambridge Conversations: Beyond the lecture theatre with George the Poet
George the Poet will be in conversation with his Sharath Srinivasan about education, life lessons and how he incorporates his sociology studies into his award-winning podcasts, spoken word performances and his research on the socio-economic potential of black music.
How can we fix the NHS and social care?
With the NHS and social care on emergency support, this panel - comprised of Professor Mike Kelly, University of Cambridge; Thara Raj Director of Population Health and Inequalities at an NHS Trust in Warrington; Dr Geoff Wong from the University of Oxford; and author Emily Kenway - will debate potential ways out of the crisis.
Hunger: how what we eat - or can't eat - affects our mental and physical health
Professor Mintz Habib, Founder of the Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge, and biologist Professor Giles Yeo, author of books including Why Calories Don't Count, are in conversation about the long-term impact of diet and hunger on our physical and mental development.
How do wars end?
As regional conflicts spread, this panel discussion of experts will consider the big question of how wars end from a historical, political and cultural point of view. With Professor Sir Richard Evans from the University of Cambridge; Dr Uilleam Blacker from University College London; Professor Kristin Bakke from University College London and Professor Ayse Zarakol from the University of Cambridge.
The metaverse: pros and cons
We've all heard about it, but what is the metaverse, will it actually happen and how could it change our lives? A discussion between Shannon Pierson and Matteo Zallio from the University of Cambridge and Michelle Lim, Cambridge consultants.
Lecture from Anglia Ruskin University
Watch back lectures from Anglia Ruskin University including if we can really live to 100 and beyond, the monarchy in the modern age and the psychology of shopping.
Cambridge's Changing Railway Landscapes
How have Cambridge's railway lines shaped the modern city? This immersive documentary, created by volunteers of local-community organisations for 2024 Cambridge Festival | Festival of Film, flies you to changing railway landscapes – old and new – around the city.
What is a Herbarium? The scientific and historical treasures of the Cambridge University Herbarium
Take a quick dive into the fascinating world of the Cambridge University Herbarium. This giant archive of plant diversity contains 1.1 million dried plants collected worldwide over 3 hundred years, as well as thousands of botanical art pieces. Have a glimpse at some of our most iconic specimens and illustrations, and learn about the work we do behind the scenes to facilitate research and education in the fields of Natural Sciences and Humanities.
Does Mill Road Matter? Local History and Museums in the 21st Century
Roger Lilley looks at the relationship between a local history museum and a local history group and the opportunities presented for their interaction. Roger will be talking about the Museum of Cambridge, its history, trials and tribulations and future development. He’ll be talking about the way it can interact with local history societies and in particular with the Mill Road History Society. He’ll look at their legacy to the Museum, Capturing Cambridge, and how the Museum has used that resource to widen its outreach and collect more resources.
Diversity in the Immune System
We are all different and so are our immune systems. Join Professor Adrian Liston and learn just how different our immune systems can be and what makes them so.
The Force Awakens: Quantum Collisions
In this highly interactive talk, Professor Ben Allanach (Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge) will describe how the accelerator and its experiments work generally, and also give more specific details about the discovery of the Higgs boson.
How do you map the archaeological heritage of South Asia?
This talk, given at the Cambridge Festival on 21 March 2024, introduces the Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia (MAHSA) project, which is documenting the endangered archaeology and cultural heritage of the Indus River Basin and the surrounding areas. Our collaborative approach combines the analysis of legacy site documentation with digitised and georeferenced versions of historic Survey of India maps and remote-sensing satellite imagery, and machine learning to document archaeological and heritage sites and train the next generation of archaeologists to help ensure that we end up with a sustainable heritage resource for future generations.
How can we prepare students for a different future?
Christine Özden, Cambridge's Global Director of Climate Education, convened a panel representing sixth forms in Cambridge and Cambridge Zero, the University's climate change initiative, to discuss how education can prepare students for a different future.
Hungry for more?
Check out the Cambridge Festival of Podcasts, where you'll find all the podcasts from around Cambridge all in one place. Listen to one, then move on to the next!
Subjects include everything from radiotherapy and finding the links between climate change and early marriage to what really happened to Darwin's missing notebooks.