A Friends of Imperial College Evening - Screeing of The Human Body

A private viewing of an extraordinary film in the Science museum's IMAX cinema.

On the evening of Tuesday 28 May, alumni, associates and Friends of Imperial College gathered at the Science Museum for a private viewing of an extraordinary film in the museum's IMAX cinema.
Director-Producer of 'the Human Body', Peter Georgi, introduced his film to the 200 strong audience, after they were welcomed to the event by Alison Roden, Head of IMAX Development, and Elizabeth Mills, Chairman of Friends of IC. Guests were taken on a journey through a day in the life of the human body, as the intricacies of everyday processes were explained by narrator, Professor Robert Winston, and depicted in minute, and sometimes gory, detail. From hormonal changes and teenage acne to the digestive system and the miracle of childbirth, 'the Human Body' portrayed natural, every day functions from a new and unique perspective.

Following the 40-minute screening, guests took their seats in the Sir Alexander Fleming Building. After a welcome from IC's Pro-Rector for Public and Corporate Affairs, Dr Tidu Maini, Peter Georgi, the film's producer and director, gave the audience an insight into the conceptual history of the film and the technology required to bring that concept to fruition.

Peter Georgi's lecture was followed by short presentations by three representatives from the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine. Dr Kate Hardy and Dr Geoffrey Trew, from the Division of Obstetrics, Paediatrics and Gynaecology talked about their involvement in the film. Dr Hardy followed this with an overview of her research on IVF treatment, which focuses on the development of human embryos before implantation, in particular the reasoning behind the failure of the embryo to implant and develop. Professor Julia Polak, Director of the Imperial College Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Centre then went on to speak about the groundbreaking research currently being carried out by her team.

A lively question and answer session followed where the speakers were pressed further on their respective topics. The audience showed a particular interest in how certain scenes in 'the Human Body' had been filmed and the techniques employed to produce such remarkable effects. The evening concluded with a buffet and drinks reception in the foyer of the Sir Alexander Fleming Building.

The event, hosted by Friends of IC, was the first fundraising event for the College's recently established Imperial College Scholarship Fund. The evening was hugely successful and proved a promising start to the new campaign.