Tue-Thu, March 10-12 | 9:30am-1:00pm
Free for high school students. Registration required. Free popcorn and bottled water will be provided.
Part of Science On Screen® 2026
Designed for high schoolers (9th-12th grade), this seminar will offer students the opportunity to experience some of the most exemplary science-fiction cinema the form has to offer on the Belcourt big screen. Whether it’s visitors from outer space or exploring the boundaries of the known universe, this unique selection of films use genre tropes to untangle what it means to be human in an ever-changing world. Topics include artificial intelligence, exploitation of new technologies, space exploration, and our relationship with other beings and one another.
Led by film programmer Zack Hall, each day will include a brief introduction setting up the films, followed by a screening in one of our historic halls. After the films, we’ll have in-depth conversations about the themes and ideas presented in what we just watched.
This seminar is offered at no cost to participants — but capacity is limited, and students must register to attend. It is designed for students only and is meant to be taken in its entirety (no single sessions). Please note that the seminar is for 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. No exceptions, please.
This seminar features high-quality films designed to spark conversation about important issues. Some films may contain adult situations, profanity and violence.
Seminar Schedule:
Tue, Mar 10 at 9:30am
ALIEN
Dir. Ridley Scott | USA | 1979 | 117 min. | R
Weyland-Yutani Industries spans the universe with its transport vessels, and the USCSS Nostromo is no different. Capable of processing and transporting countless tons of mineral ore through the gulf of space, its crew of seven (and one cat) is proficient at crisis management and maintaining the safety of its cargo, even if the unforeseen should arise. Weyland-Yutani Industries believes in the importance of terrestrial and extraterrestrial life, and conducts all transactions with the knowledge that any intelligent transmission is worthy of investigation. The future does not pertain exclusively to humanity — and it would be irresponsible to let the discovery of something new slip through the fingers of man and end, alone, in the vastness of the void. Weyland-Yutani Industries believes in the future.
Wed, Mar 11 at 9:30am
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Dir. Stanley Kubrick | UK | 1968 | 164 min. | G
A black monolith, present since the dawn of man, is discovered beneath the surface of the moon. When the source of the object is determined to be Jupiter, an expedition is launched to explain its mysterious origins. Dave (Keir Dullea) and crew must face off against the next stage in human evolution in the form of the ship’s sinister AI system — a sabotaging super-intelligent HAL 9000 computer — as they travel to Jupiter and beyond the infinite.
Thu, Mar 12 at 9:30am
NOPE
Dir. Jordan Peele | USA | 2022 | 131 min. | R
Following their father’s shocking death, Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole as they plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera. Along with a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster (Steven Yeun) who neighbors the siblings, the pair’s efforts to chase the spectacle soon bring terrifying consequences and unimaginable horror. The result is a complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West — and from show business itself.
Science on Screen® is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
