The San Sebastian Festival, the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) and the Filmoteca Vasca will collaborate to combine two of the city’s distinguishing features: its dedication to the cinema and its high level of specialisation in science. As a result of this agreement, the programme includes the screening at the Velodrome, for children from schools in Gipuzkoa, of Tximinoen erresuma (Evolution Man - Monkey Business), selected jointly by the Festival and the DIPC. The film will be shown in its version dubbed into Basque and will be introduced by scientists from the DIPC, who will have the task of putting it into context and of conveying a positive image of science and its contributions to the spectators.

San Sebastian is known for being a city of cinema and gastronomy. However, in the last twenty years it has also become a city of science. Today, more than 4,000 international scientists work in San Sebastian, a figure placing it amongst the cities with most scientists per capita in Europe.

 The Filmoteca Vasca and the DIPC organised the first cycle on cinema and science in 2018. The widespread popularity among the public of the cycle Out there: cinema and science prompted the organisation of a second cycle, The unknown: cinema and science, developed in the first three months of the year. Although these cycles were fundamentally aimed at an adult public, this initiative seeks to create a link between the cinema and science before a public of children.

   Thus, the Donostia International Physics Center, the foundation dedicated to promoting scientific research, will jointly organise the showings for schoolchildren screened as part of the Velodrome section, the result of a programme agreed to with schools. Last year, some 13,300 students from 79 schools attended the six sessions at the Velodrome which, in 2019, will take place in the morning of Friday 20, and from Monday 23 to Friday 27 inclusive.

This joint action was presented today at a press conference in Tabakalera. Pedro Miguel Etxenike, President of the Donostia International Physics Center Foundation, indicated that “the new generations have been born into a society with a largely scientific-technological culture. Beyond Apps and fashions, we believe it is important that they know and think about the deeper connotations that science has exerted on our understanding of the universe and of our own selves as well as on the improvement of our living conditions”.

"For some years now, the Festival has been promoting a number of collaborations with other sectors and entities in our area. The collaboration that we are starting with the world of science is very important to us; it is an essential field for audiovisual development. It is incredible to see how important the world of science is in our city. In this case, we want to help to bring young people closer to science in an easy and entertaining way”, said the Festival Director, José Luis Rebordinos.