“HIDDEN FIGURES” MOVIE

Released in 2016, the film Hidden Figures tells the true story of three African American mathematicians who contributed to NASA's greatest successes. Amid segregation, genius, and courage, this feature film shines a light on heroines long forgotten in space history.

poster for the film "Hidden Figures"

Hidden Figures is inspired by real events recounted in the book by Margot Lee Shetterly. The film highlights Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, three African American mathematicians whose work was essential to NASA's successes in the 1960s. Despite the still prevalent racial segregation, they managed to assert their intelligence and determination within an institution dominated by white men.

Summary :

Hidden Figures takes us into the mysterious and exciting world of NASA during the Cold War. The story is told through the eyes of three black women working at the Langley research center as human computers. Katherine Goble (Johnson), Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson struggle to find their place despite their undeniable talent, and will double their efforts to make their voices heard and participate in NASA's grand project. Gradually overcoming the prejudices and barriers they have always known, Katherine will become essential in calculating the trajectories of the Mercury and Apollo 11 missions, Mary will become the first female engineer, and Dorothy Vaughan will be appointed team supervisor in the new IBM section, thus becoming true heroines in the space conquest.

image from the film “Hidden Figures”

The film Hidden Figures played a major role in the rehabilitation of female scientists who have long remained in the shadows of history. By telling the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, it allowed the general public to discover their essential contribution to space exploration. Beyond its cinematic success, the film reignited the debate on the role of women, particularly black women, in science and technology, inspiring a new generation to recognize and value these pioneering figures in the shadows.

image from the film “Hidden Figures”

The film by Theodore Melfi gave rise to cult scenes reprised to denounce the segregation and misogyny suffered by black women in settings predominantly occupied by white men, such as science.

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