Science. Art. Film.: Minority Report

Steven Spielberg’s futuristic thriller questions a justice system that can see what’s to come.

The Science. Art. Film. series uncovers the wacky, weird and wonderful facets of science and art in films, with post-screening discussions featuring artists and ANU scholars. In collaboration with ANU and the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science.

2002 | M | 145 mins | D: Steven Spielberg 

It’s 2054 and Washington’s PreCrime unit has been running successfully for 6 years, preventing premeditated murders before they happen. Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise) believes in the system—until he is identified as its next suspect. Now he must unravel the mystery of why at some future point he will want to kill a man he hasn’t yet met.  

Spielberg’s clever adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s whodunit story explores surveillance, free will and the limits of predictive technology. Max Von Sydow, Collin Farrell and Samantha Morton also star. 

 ‘A triumph—a film that works on our minds and our emotions.’ – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun ‑ Times 

Join us for a post-screening lively discussion spanning philosophy, AI, communication, music, science and technology studies. The expert panel will examine how science fiction helps societies rehearse debates about emerging technologies long before they arrive, revealing both our hopes for innovation and our anxieties about control. As algorithms promise ever-greater certainty about our behaviour, Minority Report challenges us to consider what may be lost when prediction begins to rival choice. 

Special guests 

Henrique Santos is a Brazilian marketing specialist, vocational trainer and writer whose work sits at the intersection of communication, pop culture and technology. His Masters research explored the sci-fi classic Minority Report, inspiring the book Is the Future's Past Imperfect? , It examined how science fiction reflects our hopes, anxieties and perceptions of technological change. A lifelong devotee of role-playing games, mythology, science fiction and pop culture, Henrique combines his passions with academic expertise in marketing, education and sociology through his work at the Australian National University. 

Colin Klein is a professor in the School of Philosophy at the Australian National University. He received his PhD from Princeton University and previously taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Macquarie University. He has published widely on consciousness, artificial intelligence, foundations of computation, and the epistemic effects of social media.  

Professor Kenneth Lampl received his Doctor of Musical Arts in music composition from the Juilliard School and studied with composer and conductor John Williams. As a film composer, Lampl has scored over 100 films, including Pokémon: The First Movie – Mew vs. Mewtwo, Pokémon: Mewtwo Returns, Frontera (starring Ed Harris and Eva Longoria), and 35 & Ticking (starring Kevin Hart and Nicole Ari-Parker). His recent Australian scores include The Furies, 2067, and Sissy. The 2067 soundtrack was released by Sony/Milan Records and was recognised by the Film Music Institute as one of the year's standout film scores. Lampl currently teaches film music and music technology at the Australian National University. 

Dr Dan Santos is a Research Fellow at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at ANU. He also works with the UNESCO Chair in Science Communication for the Public Good . His interests span the social, economic and environmental dimensions of emerging biotechnologies, especially questions around innovation, public engagement and openness in science. His research has recently expanded to include biohacking, synthetic biology and stem cells. He is also a film buff and former film reviewer. 

Moderator: 
Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, ANU. She is also the Head of POPSICULE , ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub. Dr Jürgens’ research explores cultural meanings of science, the history of (violent) clowns and mad scientists, science and humour, and the interface between science and (public) art.