The Secret of NIMH w/ a talk on Rodent Dystopia by Dr. Lee Dugatkin

Dir. Don Bluth / 1982 / 83 min

With a talk on rodent dystopia, and the experiments of John B. Calhoun by evolutionary biologist Dr. Lee Dugatkin

Generously funded by

To relocate her family - including an ailing son - and save them from a farmer's plow, a widowed field mouse seeks the aid of a crow, and a myserious colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she ever expected. Don Bluth's miraculous debut film is both a visually stunning gem of tradional American animation, and a delightfully grim blend of fantasy and science fiction.

Dr. Dugatkin's book 'Dr. Calhoun's Mousery: The Strange Tale of a Celebrated Scientist, a Rodent Dystopia, and the Future of Humanity' details the work of John B. Calhoun, whose controversial experiments on rodents in the 60's served as the inspiration for Robert C. O'Brien's 1971 novel, 'Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH'

Dr. Dugatkin is an evolutionary biologist and a historian of science in the Department of Biology at the University of Louisville. describes Dr. Dugatkin's book, as “A compelling biography about a groundbreaking scientist and his controversial work, using rodent cities—rodentopias—to identify and examine the potential catastrophes that might befall human overpopulation. . . . Dugatkin does an excellent job of investigating, documenting and writing about Dr. Calhoun’s life and work. . . . Drawing on previously unpublished archival research and interviews with Calhoun’s family and former colleagues, Dugatkin offers a riveting account of an intriguing scientific figure. Considering Dr. Calhoun’s experiments, he explores the changing nature of scientific research and delves into what the study of animal behavior can teach us about ourselves.”

The Science on Screen® grant initiative brings science to cinemas nationwide.

The Coolidge Corner Theatre's series has enhanced film and scientific literacy with this popular program, which launched at the Coolidge in 2005 in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and its pioneering nationwide film program.

Since 2011, Sloan has awarded the Coolidge over $4 million to develop and administer Science on Screen programs around the US through partnerships with other nonprofits. The Coolidge has in turn awarded over $2.75 million in grants to 131 film and science-focused organizations in 45 states (plus Washington, DC) across the country.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Stray Cat Film Center, 1662 Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, United States

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