Nicolas Bergeron, Thierry Dauxois, Étienne Ghys, Tadashi Tokieda, Alberto Verjovsky Sola and Cédric Villani all have a special connection with the famous French mathematician, whose work, at some point in their careers, inspired them, prompted reflection or provided a starting point for research.
Philippe Worms thus presents Henri Poincaré as a human being, through the eyes of his present-day admirers. It is an interesting approach: the walks, meals and evening gatherings during their stay provide opportunities for discussion and for illustrating the great mathematician's work. This elaborate staging, occasionally confusing, is certainly unusual. At the outset, Cédric Villani suggests that the film "would have to be a little confusing" to resemble Poincaré. Even so, the director succeeds in exploring a great many subjects associated with Poincaré: his powerful geometric (re)interpretation of a wide range of problems, his philosophical reflections on scientific inquiry, and his research into determinism ("harmony") and randomness ("chaos")…
