Science meets blockbuster: Campus cinema at the University of Graz

For two weeks, the courtyard of the university’s main building is transformed into one of the city’s most beautiful open-air cinemas. Photo: Uni Graz/Schweiger

A cinematic treat for the scientific community: the courtyard of the University of Graz’s main building is once again being transformed into an atmospheric open-air cinema this year. From 29 June to 10 July 2026 (Mondays to Fridays from 8.30 pm), blockbusters and documentaries will be shown on the open-air screen. Academics from the University of Graz will be taking a closer look at the films shown, examining them to distinguish fact from fiction.

In the introduction to “Jurassic World: A New Age” (9 July), molecular biologist Kai-Uwe Fröhlich explains whether dinosaurs and mammoths could really be brought back to life.
Sociologist Karin Scaria-Braunstein provides an introduction to the courtroom drama “She Says. He Says.” by Ferdinand von Schirach (2 July) and explains how our society deals with conflict.
Each episode is presented by Fritz Treiber, molecular biologist and nutrition expert on the ORF programme “Studio 2”.

The finale on 10 July will be presented by Treiber and historian Margit Linder with a new episode of “Science & Cinema”. They will explore the facts and fiction in films centred on ancient Greece. Excerpts from “Alexander”, “Asterix at the Olympic Games” and “Troy” will be shown.

In the event of bad weather, the Campus Cinema will be moved to the Alumni Lecture Theatre (Library).
The full film programme and tickets (€6) are available at: https://campus-kino.uni-graz.at

A leading role for research

A recent study by the University of Graz confirms that cinema, when combined with science, offers added value. Researchers from the 7th Faculty, the Centre for Society, Knowledge and Communication, demonstrate that conveying knowledge through films can positively influence understanding of scientific topics.
The study was carried out as part of two events in the University of Graz’s ‘Science & Cinema’ series in 2022. During these events, geophysicist Ulrich Foelsche explored climate change using selected films, including clips from “The Day After Tomorrow”, “A.I.” and “Mad Max”.

The audience was surveyed before and after the events; their responses formed the basis for the analysis carried out by an interdisciplinary research team. Author Hildrun Walter summarises: “The film sequences, with their music, powerful imagery and gripping plots, evoke emotions; this can be harnessed as a learning opportunity for often complex content.” On the one hand, they capture the audience’s attention; on the other, the impressions encourage people to actively question the facts.
The conclusion: most visitors felt better informed after the event and were better able to assess the background to climate change. “Cinema becomes a vehicle for science and, at the same time, opens up new target audiences,” the researcher emphasises.
The publication has appeared in the Journal of Science Communication.

Andreas Schweiger

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