Filmmaker: Ian Cheney
Runtime: 92 min
The Most Unknown is an epic documentary film that sends nine scientists to extraordinary parts of the world to uncover unexpected answers to some of humanity’s biggest questions. How did life begin? What is time? What is consciousness? How much do we really know? By introducing researchers from diverse backgrounds for the first time, then dropping them into new, immersive field work they previously hadn’t tackled, the film pushes the boundaries of how science storytelling is approached. What emerges is a deeply human trip to the foundations of discovery and a powerful reminder that the unanswered questions are the most crucial ones to pose. Directed by Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Ian Cheney (The Search for General Tso, The City Dark) and advised by world-renowned filmmaker Werner Herzog (Fitzcarraldo, Aguirre, The Wrath of God, Grizzly Man), The Most Unknown is an ambitious look at a side of science never before shown on screen. The film was made possible by a grant from Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.
About the Filmmaker
Ian Cheney grew up in New England, attending Yale University for both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. His documentary King Corn (2008) was given a George Foster’s Peabody Award in 2009. His other documentaries include the SIFF 2014 festival hit, The Search for General Tso. Cheney also co-founded FoodCorps, an Americorps farm- to-school program.