Screening of the documentary "The City Dark"

January 4, 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Mānoa Campus, Art Building Auditorium

The Honolulu city lights (pictured left) may stir memories as the popular song says, but they make it difficult to see the stars.

“The City Dark” is a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night sky. Filmmaker Ian Cheney and UH astronomer Richard Wainscoat will participate in a discussion after the screening of the 84-minute film. After moving to light-polluted New York City from rural Maine, Cheney was inspired to ask, “Do we need the dark?” Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawaii, tracking hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing injured birds on Chicago streets, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights—including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above.


The film features stunning astrophotography and a diverse group of scientists (including UH’s Jeff Kuhn), philosophers, historians, and lighting designers. It premiered in competition at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Score/Music.


Ticket Information
Free

Event Sponsor
Institute for Astronomy, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Louise Good, 956-9403, good@ifa.hawaii.edu, http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/specialevents/

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