EARLY TESTIMONIES FOR COSMIC CODA
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Cosmic Coda beautifully captures the human side of science—the doubts, dedication, and decades-long passion that drive discovery, reminding us that science is as much about people as it is about progress. Anna Frebel MIT, Professor of Physics
I feel confident saying I have never seen anything like Cosmic Coda and likely never will – it had a singular MJ imprint in its searching, playful construction. Loved the music, her hand-written interludes, the endless maze of cords and foil covered surfaces I’ll never understand. In terms of the topic she somehow managed to capture science research’s range from the infinitesimally small to unfathomably infinite. Without sacrificing the why. Plus she had the good sense to add a cow. Erin Trahan Arts Journalist, WBUR, Boston Globe, The Independent
I LOVED your film! So witty and sophisticated! Ricky (Leacock) would have adored it! James Rutenbeck. Award Winning Independent Filmmaker
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Oh my God, I need people to see this film. Yes, I think my fellow scientists will enjoy it, but I mean my partner, my parents, my choir friends—the people in my life for whom I never seem to find the right words to convey what doing science really entails, practically and emotionally. What I experienced while watching Cosmic Coda was a moving reflection of all the complicated, beautiful, and sometimes agonizing feelings that come with the pursuit of truth through science, expertly woven together via dozens of candid interviews with scientists and footage of their daily routines. Now more than ever, we scientists need our fellow humans (and dairy cows) to feel how science is not a remote, sterile pursuit, but something that grows out of the core human need for truth and meaning. Marta Faulkner, PhD candidate: MIT-WoodsHole Oceanographic Institute Joint Program
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The movie was fantastic. I think everyone should have the opportunity to be embedded with a bunch of astrophysicists. Even though much of the science in the movie was beyond me, the humanity that you were able to capture was so powerful. Toni Pepi Nationally Recognized Photographer
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Though most if not all the audience knew that the project would be a success in the end, the filmmaker and the scientists and technicians clearly did not at the time. Failure was a real possibility, and the anxiety they felt and the tension it created were palpable throughout. In the end, they succeeded. Such a joyous moment: they did it! It is by far the funnest, funniest and most engaging science film I have ever seen.
Scott Street. Berklee College of Music IT Director (Retired)
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First of all, let me say that you have done a great job with tone. The VO helps a lot and makes it not only fun to watch but it makes me feel that curiosity that is behind the most noble and beautiful idea of science. At many times, the movie feels like a child discovering how the world works, which is ultimately why all these scientists you portray do what they do. Their work feels relevant, important, unknown and very hard to do. You can tell everyone is here against a very important quest, but you see them as people, far from superheroes, therefore it creates a lot of empathy for them. Álvaro Congosto Independent Filmmaker
Your film is a miracle! So much substance, such a great subject: funny, quirky, unique and so engaging. Marion Dry Opera Singer Emerita
In Cosmic Coda MJ Doherty has captured the long dramatic arc of one of the great scientific achievements of the past 50 years. The discovery of gravitational waves by the LIGO collaboration was the culmination of a remarkable personal journey for MIT astrophysicist Rai Weiss. Doherty had the foresight and good fortune to gain access to Weiss and his laboratory in the 1980s, enabling her to document not only Weiss’s early vision of his project, but also to capture the backroom graduate student and postdoc culture of Weiss’s young collaborators in MITs legendary Building 20. Scenes with Weiss and his now distinguished colleagues conducted after the LIGO discoveries complete the story. It is a story of perseverance by a remarkable scientist made possible by the equally remarkable perseverance of a documentary film maker. Bob Jaffe MIT, Jane and Otto Morningstar Professor of Physics
Loved the film and happy you explained the cow at the end! Would be great to explore possibilities for an event at the museum! Michael John Gorman. Director: MIT Museum
The attention you pay in this film to the human elements—both character arcs and the how-it’s-done aspect of things makes it so fascinating and unique. I think that the delight and humor and play that comes across both in general in the scientists’ attitude toward their work and life and the tone you establish as narrator are at the root of its appeal, and maybe its purpose. This is what links scientists and artists: this wonderful balance between disciplined work, craft, and attention to detail on the one hand, coupled with an absolute delight in exploration, a willingness to live with uncertainty, and an acceptance of the possibility of total failure (which is part of why it’s fun, it’s so daring). Jeanne Rossier Smith Nationally Recognized Pastel Artist
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The following reviews are from some of the film subjects themselves. In the end, it's important the film subjects see themselves portrayed accurately. As we know, this is not always the case with some nonfiction films. This is why I include their testimonies.
The movie is wonderful and shows the people as they are, the same imaginative, risky, delightful ones who make things happen and research a pleasure. You captured it beautifully and now that I understand the cow it is even better. Rainer Weiss MIT Professor Emeritus, Nobel Prize Laureate
The film was so well done. It's one of the best story-telling movies that I've ever seen, especially as someone who is part of the story! It's truly a surreal experience. Wenxuan Jia MIT Astrophysicist
Science outreach is essential, especially in these times. The ones of us doing the science are not good at communicating our work; it takes a special person to see through it all and make it shine. I really appreciate the whimsy of it, which makes your movie stand out for me from other documentaries. Anamaria Effler LIGO Commissioner
The movie is great but also rather different from other science documentaries. These are just people, with all of their foibles, tied together with a long thread, all seeking to learn something new about Nature, and all keeping their heads together in their own ways. It is unique in a very positive and human way. The Roomful of Teeth music was a really nice addition. Lyman Page Princeton, University Professor of Physics