Writer/director Thor Klein’s English-language debut feature ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN, which received development support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, will make its world premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2020. Adapted from an autobiography of the same name, the film stars Philippe Tlokinski as Polish mathematician Stanislaw Ulam. Ulam fled Europe in the 1930s to relocate in America and contribute to The Manhattan Project. The Festival writes that, “with a deftly calculated script that recalls Greek theater, and gorgeous, period-perfect production design, ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN gives audiences a unique look at the private life of an incredible mind and a truly explosive time in world history.”

In script stage, Thor Klein and producer Lena Vurma received grants through the Sloan Foundation’s partnership with Tribeca Film Institute and with Film Independent. With help from Sloan, Klein consulted with historian George Dyson, author of Turing’s Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe. As Klein told Science & Film, “there is a great chapter about Stan and John von Neumann [a physicist who worked with Ulam on the hydrogen bomb] and Stan’s influence on Johnnie’s work. Together, they shaped the early stages of the digital age.”

ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN will make its world premiere on January 5, with additional Festival screenings on January 6 and 11. Sloan Science & Film will be there to provide coverage. The film is written and directed by Thor Klein, and produced by Lena Vurma, Joanna Szymanska, Paul Zischler, and Nell Green. In addition to Philippe Tlokinsk, the film stars Fabian Kociecki, Esther Garrel (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME), Joel Basman (LAND OF MINE), Sam Keeley, Sonia Epstein, Sabin Tambrea (BABYLON BERLIN), and Ryan Gage (THE HOBBIT). Below are a few behind-the-scenes photos from production.

Film crew shooting rebuilt Los Alamos in Germany, photo by Jiri Vurma

Costume fitting for the extras, photo by Jiri Vurma

Actor Philippe Tlokinski with director Thor Klein, photo by Mirjam Kluka

Cinematographer Tudor Vladimir Panduru and lead producer Lena Vurma, photo by Jiri Vurma

Film props for the Fuller Lodge dance in Los Alamos, photo by Jiri Vurma

Fabian Kociecki as John von Neumann, photo by Mirjam Kluka

Cover photo: Esther Garrel as Francoise Ulam and Philippe Tlokinski as Stan Ulam, photo by Mirjam Kluka