The frontiers of infinity
2025 | Canada | Directed by Michel D.T. Lam | A production of Fig 55 and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium – Space for Life | English, French
38 min
Licensing
From the mind to the universe
The frontiers of infinity explores the mysterious quest for human knowledge. To understand the infinity of the cosmos, we must understand the most precious tool that is the foundation of all exploration : our brain. This immersive film, both instructive and poetic, links space exploration and neuroscience by meeting physicists and neuroscientists seeking to understand what our world is.
LONG SYNOPSIS
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The Frontiers of Infinity explores humanity's mysterious quest for knowledge. To understand the infinity of the cosmos, we must also understand the most precious tool that is the foundation of all exploration: our brain. This immersive film, both instructive and poetic, connects space exploration and neuroscience through interviews with scientists who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Guided by the internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist Katie Paterson, we dive deeply into the exploration of consciousness and the Universe, and what connects them. Known for her works that question our place on Earth in the context of geological time and change, Paterson brings a philosophical and artistic perspective to our relentless quest for knowledge.
CREDITS
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Producers
Pascal Pelletier
Michel D.T Lam
Director
Michel D.T. Lam
Writer
Michel D.T. Lam
Researcher
Stéphanie Jolicoeur
Narrated by
Katie Paterson (English)
Karine Vanasse (French)
Director of photography
Dominic St-Amant
Editor
Alain Loiselle
Graphic Design and Animation
Sindre Ulvik Péladeau
Original music
Mathieu David Gagnon
Color Grading
Alexandre Fréchette
Sound Mixing and Design
Ronny Martinez
Studio Octave
Produced by
Fig 55
Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium - Space for Life
Distribute and presented by
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
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The Frontiers of Infinity dives into humanity's quest for knowledge through astronomy,
neuroscience, and art. A quest guided by curiosity and creativity. Human beings are constantly
searching for answers. What lies beyond the horizon? Is there a limit to knowledge?
Technological advances have enabled us to observe stars, nebulae, galaxies, gravitational waves, and black holes, completely transforming our vision of the universe. And while we scrutinize the cosmos in search of the history of the universe, we also study the most precious tool of these observations: the human brain. Neuroscience allows us to understand the structures and functioning of our brain. But the very concept of consciousness eludes us. Will we be able to solve this mystery one day?
Do the limits of knowledge lie in the immensity and complexity of the universe, or in our very capacity to understand the world? This film does not claim to find the answers to these questions. It is a poetic and philosophical journey inviting audiences to ask more questions, to gaze in wonder at the infinity of the cosmos, and the boundless capacity of our imagination.
Guided by visual artist Katie Paterson, The Frontiers of Infinity also seeks to foster dialogue
between art and science, two disciplines that seem at opposite ends but are fundamentally
both based on imagination, inventiveness, and intelligence. It is by breaking down the walls
between different domains that we ultimately transcend our collective limits and push back the
boundaries of knowledge.
⎯⎯⎯ Michel D.T. Lam
BEHIND THE SCENES
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Michel D.T. Lam
Director
Michel D.T. Lam studied film at the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Institut National de l’image et du son (INIS). His first short films, Plus ou moins trente and Sur le quai de la gare, won numerous prizes. He then directed the critically acclaimed documentary …and music, produced by the NFB. Writer, director and producer in documentary, television and new media, Lam collaborates with multiple production companies and broadcasters around the world.
Among his notable projects, Harmonielehre, an innovative collaboration between the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Society for Arts and Technology, Innere Musik, a virtual reality experience with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, (Numix 2020, Best Immersive Experience) as well as the immersive film, Partita for 8 Voices, a musical and graphic odyssey (Best Immersive Experience at Macon International Festival, Best of Earth Awards – Art and Experiment).
Stéphanie Jolicoeur
Researcher
Stéphanie Jolicoeur is a science communicator with a background in Physics (Université Laval, 2011) and Dramatic Arts (Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec, 2016). With a strong interest in science and digital literacy education, she specializes in finding the most effective medium and approach to share knowledge with diverse audiences—children, teenagers, and adults of all ages.
She has appeared on television in Condensé de science (Savoir Média), C’est humain and Luka et Léo (Télé-Québec), and Bulletin spatial (Explora). As a television researcher, she contributes to science-based programs such as Curium, Luka et Léo, C’est humain, and Bulletin spatial, as well as to feature films like Frontières de l’infini and Golden Records.
Stéphanie also designs science activities for elementary schools, gives public talks (La piqûre des vaccins, Vis ta science), and hosts educational events (Les mathématiques de la musique with the OSM). She has served as a spokesperson for La Fabrique numérique – COlab and regularly presents segments on the radio show Moteur de recherche (ICI Première).
Katie Paterson
Visual artist
Katie Paterson (1981, Scotland) is known for her conceptual artworks that have involved broadcasting the sounds of a melting glacier live, mapping all the dead stars in the universe, compiling a slide archive of the history of darkness across the ages, custom-making a light bulb to simulate the experience of moonlight, burying a nano-sized grain of sand deep within the Sahara desert, and sending a re-cast meteorite back into space. Katie has exhibited internationally, and her works have been included in major exhibitions such as Tate Britain, Hayward Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney, Guggenheim Museum New York, and The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. She was the winner of the Visual Arts category of the South Bank Awards, and is an honorary fellow of Edinburgh University.
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CONTRIBUTORS
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Laurie Rousseau-Nepton
Astronomer
Dr. Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, an Innu astronomer, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics. From 2017 to 2023, she was based in Hawaii as a resident astronomer at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, where she supported researchers from around the world in using a variety of astronomical instruments.
She leads SIGNALS (Star formation, Ionized Gas, and Nebular Abundances Legacy Survey), a large-scale international project involving over 60 researchers. Using the SITELLE instrument, her team studies more than 50,000 star-forming regions across 31 galaxies near the Milky Way. The goal of the project is to better understand how galactic environments influence the characteristics of young stars. In her lab, she is developing a new type of high-resolution spectro-imager that integrates ultra-sensitive quantum detectors.
Laurie is a strong advocate for the integration of Indigenous cultures, knowledge, and scientific methods into research and education. Her recent work has expanded into the field of archaeoastronomy, where she explores the intersection between ancient cultures and celestial phenomena.
Franco Vazza
Numerical astrophysicist
Franco Vazza is a numerical astrophysicist who studies the origin of extragalactic magnetic fields and the evolution of cosmic structures (from galaxy clusters to cosmic filaments) using very big numerical simulations. He is a professor in Astrophysics at the University of Bologna, and he previously was several years researcher at the University of Hamburg.
Anil Seth
Neuroscientist
Anil Seth is a neuroscientist and author. He is Director of the Centre for Consciousness Science and Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. He is also Co-Director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Program on Brain, Mind and Consciousness, and a European Research Council Advanced Investigator. He won the 2023 Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize, and Prospect Magazine listed him as one of the world’s Top 25 thinkers for 2024. His 2017 TED talk has been viewed more than fifteen million times, and his 2021 book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness was an instant Sunday Times Bestseller and a Book of the Year for many publications.
Alberto Feletti
Professor of Neurosurgery
Prof. Alberto Feletti is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Verona, Italy. He received his medical degree and neurosurgery training from the University of Padova, where he also completed a PhD in Neuroscience. His academic journey was further enriched by fellowships at world-renowned institutions, including the Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California San Francisco and the Department of Neurosurgery at Fujita Health University in Japan.
Prof. Feletti's clinical and research interests span a wide range of neurosurgical subspecialties, with particular focus on neuroendoscopy, cerebrovascular surgery, and neuro-oncology. He has developed significant expertise in the endoscopic treatment of intraventricular pathologies and the management of von Hippel-Lindau disease. His innovative work in these areas has contributed to advancing minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques.
Throughout his career, Prof. Feletti has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in leading neurosurgical journals and texts. His research output covers diverse topics, from novel endoscopic approaches to the treatment of complex cerebrovascular disorders. He is also recognized for his work on the similarities between cosmic and neuronal networks, showcasing his interdisciplinary approach to neuroscience.
Prof. Feletti is an active member of several prestigious neurosurgical societies, including the Italian Society of Neurosurgery (SINch) and the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS). He serves on the editorial boards of multiple journals, including as an Associate Editor for Frontiers of Surgery – Neurosurgery and for Cancers, reflecting his commitment to advancing the field through scholarly publication.
As a testament to his expertise, Prof. Feletti is frequently invited as a speaker and faculty member at international neurosurgery conferences and workshops. He has presented his work in numerous countries, including Japan, China, Indonesia, several European Countries, and the United States, contributing to global knowledge exchange in neurosurgery.
Prof. Feletti's contributions to the field have been recognized with several awards, including the "Paladino Italiano della Salute" (Italian Health Champion) by the Italian government (2021 and 2023), and the Huashan International Honor Award at the 13th International Conference of the Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
In addition to his clinical and research work, Prof. Feletti is deeply involved in neurosurgical education. He has organized and participated in multiple courses and conferences, including the innovative "Fundamenta Neurochirurgica" series, aimed at providing contemporary narratives on neurosurgery to trainees and colleagues.
Prof. Feletti's surgical experience encompasses over 3000 operations, with expertise in complex procedures such as aneurysm clipping, deep brain stimulation, and brain and spinal cord tumor resection.
