Wolfgang Goethe was a key figure in the cultural landscape of the XIX century. A gifted poet, essayist and philosopher, he was also a well-known scientist fascinated by the beauty of nature. In 1810, one century after Newton’s works, Goethe published a text entitled Zur Farbenlehre which outlined his Theory of Colours, thereby providing new insights into the study of light, colors and the phenomena that control them. Goethe’s theory acts as a guiding lead throughout Light, Darkness and Colours, a documentary that takes us on a fascinating journey through the universe of colors.
Goethe felt, like any artist, that one could not talk about light without touching upon the concept of darkness. In his investigations he focused on the so-called "light - darkness polarity" and made scientific discoveries using innovative methods that mixed art and science together.
He spent more than 40 years of his life on the Theory of Colours, which in a sense summarizes the whole of his thinking and especially the link between science and his poetry. Goethe himself realized that his work was so stunningly innovative that it would only be understood generations after his death.
In keeping with Goethe's method, the three directors Henrik Boëtius, Marie Louise Lefèvre and Marie Louise Lauridsen explore the laws of nature and the phenomena associated to human sensory perception. Using strikingly beautiful cinematography, and duplicating Goethe's and Newton's experiments on camera, they have crafted an excellent documentary characterized by scientific accuracy and narrative clarity.
Gran Prix at the IX Prix Leonardo festival, Parma, 1999