Women mathematicians on screen

Abstract

While remaining a very rare phenomenon, female mathematicians do appear in movies, often as protagonists, revealing the director’s real commitment to character building. The aim of this article is to explore the representation of female mathematicians on screen, both fictional and real, of all ages and from different eras, to spot cliché, observe shifts in perspective and identify specific aspects that make the female role particularly important, not only from a narrative point of view, but also as for the intended message of the movie.