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A SUNDAY WITH DARWIN

1. Author: Jean-Pierre Rogel
2. Director: Helene Leroux
3. Editor: André Van Damme
4. Photography: Denis Christopherson, Charles Dumouchel, Luc Robida
5. Music: Skellig (Loreena McKennitt), Universal Music Pub. MGB Ltd, Kecharitomene (Loreena McKennitt), Universal Music Pub. MGB Ltd, original music
6. Sound: Chantal Benoit, Eric Celton, Louis Chartrand, Martin Thibault
7. Producer: Louis Faure
8. Production: Société Radio-Canada
9. Canada
10. 42 min.
11. 2009

All human beings are cousins among themselves. The assumptions of Darwin’s theory of evolution, 150 years after publishing The Origin of Species, is confirmed by modern genetic science.
In this documentary we see Darwin develop and define his theory. The story starts in 1858. At 49 he is a respected naturalist, but worries because what he intends to publish - The Origin of Species - is going to dispute widespread cultural and religious beliefs.
The genre is the documentary, combined with the spectacularity, high pace, and edu-entertainment style of TV broadcasts. Darwin, interpreted by an actor, is shown while writing, strolling, meditating, observing. It is like a time machine that brings us one and a half centuries back and allows us to observe the great scientist from the outside, without bothering him and without his realizing.
With comments by the main scholars of Darwin’s theory - historian John Van Wyhe, evolution biologist Richard Dawkins, zoologist Cyrille Barrette, and evolution biologist Pierre-Henri Gouyon - the documentary describes Darwin’s working environment, the evidence collected in time in favour of his theory, and his importance for modern scientific research.