DESCRIPTIONS

Product Description A man with no home and no job, Paul Erdös was the most prolific mathematician who ever lived. A wandering genius, Erdös, who died at age 83 in September 1996, was engaged in a cosmic struggle to uncover truths hidden by a stubborn adversary God in a metaphysical duel he confronted with the same wry humor he applied to politics, death and relationships. This one-hour 16mm documentary, filmed over a four-year period, follows Erdös through four countries, presenting his mathematical quest, its personal and philosophical dimensions, and the tragic historical events that molded his life. Animated sequences illustrate some of Erdös s favorite problems. The film was produced, directed and edited by George Paul Csicsery. Cinematography is by John Knoop, and original music was composed by Mark Adler. Animated sequences were created by Red Dot Interactive. The film was made with support from the American Mathematical Society, Film Arts Foundation, the Heineman Foundation, the Mathematical Association of America and the National Science Foundation s Informal Science Education Program. Review Documentarian George Csicsery captures the whimsical genius of the man perfectly... Erdös is a delightful human being, and his bio celebrates him with wit and style. -- Kelly Vance, East Bay Express --East Bay Express Charming, in part because director George Paul Csicsery does a good job in explaining the basics of Erdös's work, and in part because the idiosyncratic Erdös and his friends are such good storytellers;Video Classics," Discover magazine's listing of the top 10 science videos of the past 20 years. --Discover Magazine About the Actor Paul Erdös (1913-1996) is considered to be one of the important mathematicians of the 20th century. About the Director GEORGE PAUL CSICSERY, a writer and independent filmmaker since 1968, was born in Germany in 1948, the son of Hungarian parents. He immigrated to the United States in 1951. He has directed 27 films dramatic shorts, performance films and documentaries. His most recent works are on mathematical themes. Julia Robinson and Hilbert s Tenth Problem, a one-hour biographical documentary about an American mathematician and her part in solving one of the 20th century s most famous mathematics problems premiered in January 2008. The project was supported by the Clay Mathematics Institute and by Margaret & Will Hearst. Hard Problems: The Road to the World s Toughest Math Contest, also premiered in January 2008. The feature documentary about American high school students who participated in the 2006 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Ljubljana, Slovenia was produced for the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and is currently being broadcast on PBS stations via American Public Television (APT). I Want To Be A Mathematician: A Conversation with Paul Halmos (2009) is based on a 1999 interview with the renowned teacher and mathematician. It was produced with support from the Mathematical Association of America and the Educational Advancement Foundation. On Mathematical Grounds (2009) was made for the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI). The Right Spin (2005), about astronaut Michael Foale and his part in saving the Mir space station in 1997, made for Math Awareness Month. The Thursday Club (2005) is an hour-long doc about retired Oakland policemen who were involved in suppressing the antiwar demonstrations of the 1960s. Hungry for Monsters (2004), a feature documentary about a Pennsylvania case of false accusation of incest and child molest was shown at the Bermuda International Film Festival and in the Human Rights section of the 57th Locarno International Film Festival in 2004, and was broadcast by Teacher s TV in the UK in 2006. In 2003 he made, Invitation to Discover, for MSRI, and porridge pulleys and Pi, a half-hour biographical film on mathematicians Hendrik Lenstra and Vaughan Jones, which premiered at the Teléscience Festival in Montréal, Canada in November 2003, and at the Exploratorium in March 2004. Troop 214 (1997 and 2008)), about exiled Hungarian Scouts in the United States and their return to Hungary, and Communist Pioneers, was co-produced with Duna-TV in Budapest, Hungary. N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (1993), about an eccentric wandering mathematician, was broadcast on Duna-TV, Hungary (1995), SBS-Australia (1996), the Sundance Channel-USA (1996-98), NHK-Japan (1997), and Noorder Licht, VPRO-Netherlands, January 2001, and again on Zomergasten on VPRO in 2007. The film is currently playing on PBS stations by arrangement with American Public Television, (2002-2009), and Discovery Canada (2003-2004). Csicsery produced, directed and edited Where the Heart Roams (1987), a feature documentary about romance writers and their fans, broadcast on the POV series on PBS (1991) and SBS-Australia. Television: The Enchanted Mirror (1981), which received prizes at the Marin, Mill Valley, Palo Alto and USA film festivals, w