More often than ever before scientists are becoming the targets of political agendas, public suspicion and harassment. Blame examines what happens when science and research get pulled into the centre of media scandals and power struggles.
The film puts a face to the names of three scientists who were pushed into the global limelight against their will. Linfa Wang in Singapore, Zhengli Shi in Wuhan, and Peter Daszak in the USA began their shared research on the SARS virus in bats in 2003. Years later, their work becomes the focal point of an unforeseen political and public uproar, turning scientific questions into accusations and conspiracy theories.
In the documentary Zhengli Shi says she never wanted to be famous. And who can blame her, when unnumbered people world wide began to suspect her of being a malicious bioweapons manufacturer. The film pays a brief visit to research environments, but soon the focus shifts to politics and the politicisation of science.
Blame highlights the contradiction between two worlds. The world of science and research, its laboratories and safety precautions, is calm, collected and mundane, while the world of media, politics and public debate is shown as a hysterical circus where scientists are symbols and scapegoats.
The film recounts the events from the three scientists’ perspective, putting the pandemic-era news cycle in a human context. At times it feels like an essay film as it meditates on the relationship between public discourse, power and science.
Juhana Pettersson (translated by Adrian Murtomäki)
Language: English
- Name in Original Language: Blame
- Director: Christian Frei
- Country: Switzerland
- Year: 2025
- Length: 123 min
- Cinematography: Filip Zumbrunn, Peter Indergand
- Editing: Christian Frei
Showtimes:
- Tartu Elektriteater, Kiriku hall: Friday, 6.02 - 18.00
- Cinema Artis, hall 1: Saturday, 7.02 - 14.00