The INAF Astronomical Observatory of Trieste is organizing a program of events for summer 2025: three evenings of cinema, music, and outdoor shows, and a day of solar observation, with free admission, at the Basovizza observatory on June 11, June 21, July 17, and September 3.
Three evenings of cinema, music, science, and telescope observations, thanks to the established collaboration with La Cappella Underground and many years of participation in the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival. Starting with the 2023 edition, INAF has established the Event Horizon Award, which rewards the film that has been able to “break away from the clichés that associate scientific discovery with a dystopian future by addressing futuristic challenges without a blind and uncritical faith in progress, but also without prejudice.”
Given the enthusiasm of the jury and the success achieved each year at the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, INAF has chosen to re-present some of the most significant films to the public, accompanying them with moments of scientific discussion with the institute’s researchers. It will be an opportunity to explore the major current issues addressed in science fiction films.
On Wednesday, June 11, at 9:00 p.m., “U Are the Universe”, winner of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival 2024, will be screened. Directed by Ukrainian filmmaker Pavlo Ostrikov, the film tells the surreal and touching story of Andriy Melnyk, a space truck driver who transports nuclear waste to Callisto, one of Jupiter’s moons. When Earth suddenly explodes, Andriy finds himself alone in the cosmos… until he intercepts a signal from Catherine, a French meteorologist who has survived on a remote station. Between isolation, hope, and the desire for contact, an exciting journey takes shape, filled with irony and poetry, against the backdrop of an empty and silent universe. U Are the Universe will be screened in its original language (Ukrainian) with Italian subtitles. An unmissable opportunity to discover a science fiction story that speaks to the heart, capable of mixing lightness, reflection, and cinematic vision.
On Saturday, June 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., we will have a day dedicated to observing the Sun on the occasion of the summer solstice, with a visit to the historical-educational multimedia exhibition and, subsequently, observation of the Sun (sunspots and protuberances) through a telescope. The event is free, but reservations are required.
On Thursday, July 17, at 9:00 p.m., in the evocative setting of the Specola Margherita Hack, there will be a special evening combining music and science, emotion and wonder, in an event that will enchant enthusiasts of all ages. The stars of the show will be Pinkakustik, a Pink Floyd tribute band, who will present their show “Pink Floyd doculive”: a reproduction of Pink Floyd’s historic songs and the narration of stories related to the albums from which they are taken, all supported by videos and visual effects that are reproduced during the performances. A very faithful reproduction of Pink Floyd’s most famous songs. Pinkakustic uses technological instrumentation, which allows them to achieve unparalleled clarity and sound quality. The show features a doculive format, where the musicians tell stories related to Pink Floyd and play their songs in chronological order.
On Wednesday, September 3, at 9:00 p.m., it will be time for “Dalla Terra allo spazio. Sci-fi vs reality”, a fascinating journey through the wonders of science fiction and the solid foundations—or wild fantasies—of real science. Space exploration, in addition to being an inexhaustible source of inspiration for science fiction, represents one of the most fascinating frontiers of science and technology. Science fiction films and TV series are full of examples of interplanetary travel. Many are the stuff of fantasy and, perhaps, unachievable, but there is no shortage of realistic applications of concepts from space physics. Classic series such as Star Trek, or more modern ones such as The Expanse, have inspired generations to dream of worlds beyond our planet, creating a very credible imaginary world from a scientific and technological point of view. Other works, while allowing themselves some freedom, have imagined iconic narrative universes that push us to dream beyond the barriers of the possible. In both cases, fantasy and science seem to chase each other, each inspiring the other to raise the bar higher and higher. Today, space is no longer inaccessible, but why is piloting a spaceship different from how we see it in Star Wars? And how close are we to creating colonies like in Moon or The Martian? Let’s find out together on a parallel journey between science fiction and reality.
All events are free.
The three evenings on June 11, July 17, and September 3 will conclude with a visit to the Specola Margherita Hack, where the public will have the opportunity to visit the historical exhibition and digital installations and observe the sky through a telescope. The shows will take place outdoors in front of the Specola M. Hack observatory. Seating will be available until all chairs are taken, after which visitors can lie down on the lawn inside the complex. ALÉ POGi – Street Fast Food Truck will be present with food and drinks.
