Contagion +Q&A, screening as part of Manchester Science Festival

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
People on the street wearing anti-infection face masks .
Image courtesy of Warner Brothers.

Contagion at Waterside, Manchester 26 October 2016 Tickets from £5.00 — Book now

Part of the power of cinema lies in its ability to inspire curiosity. Films can transport us to some place or situation that might be otherwise completely inaccessible and make us ask questions that we hadn’t ever thought to ask before. For Manchester Science Festival’s screening of Contagion at Waterside Arts Centre, they’ve got a panel of experts lined up to answer those questions as soon as the credits finish rolling.

Steven Soderbergh’s (Magic Mike, The Limey) coolly directed medical-thriller depicts the impact of a lethal airborne virus on society and the efforts the scientific community make to combat it. With an all-star cast that includes Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, the film is a tense, detailed, hypochondria-inducing affair that will surely provide plenty of material for the post-screening Q&A session.

The panel of experts consists of author and lecturer Dr David A Kirby (Lab Coats in Hollywood), computational virologist Professor David Robertson and immunologist Dr Joanne Pennock – all part of the University of Manchester – and Peter Scott, a clinical research specialist and member of ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium). They will be ready to discuss viral outbreaks like Ebola, SARS and HIV, the popularity of pandemic scenarios on screen and the ways in which science is depicted in mass entertainment.

Contagion at Waterside, Manchester 26 October 2016

Where to go near Contagion +Q&A, screening as part of Manchester Science Festival

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

Manchester
Park
Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

Manchester
Park
Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

Sale
Restaurant
Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

Beech Road, Chorlton
Restaurant
Mish Mash

Cocktails and craft beer along side a menu of British food ‘with a twist’. Mish Mash is currently closed for a refurb.

longford park ben williams
Manchester
Park
Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

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