Biodynamics : a case study for the balance between authority and accessibility in science documentary films

Abstract

Biodynamics is an alternative agricultural theory first proposed by the early twentieth century philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924. In the decades since, biodynamics has spread all over the world as an effective method of sustainable agriculture. However the general public remains largely unaware of biodynamics, in part because it does not easily conform to the expectations of a scientific theory and so is often dismissed as being unreliable. In this paper, I will use biodynamics as a case study to examine what role science authority plays in determining the structure of science films, which affects which theories are publicized while others are ignored in the media. In particular, I will focus on the methods used by expository documentaries to portray science.