The movie "Hidden Figures"
Hidden Figures is an American film directed by Theodore Melfi, released in 2016. It tells the true story of three African-American mathematicians who played a crucial role in NASA's space program during the 1960s, at a time when racial segregation and gender discrimination were still widespread.
Three women in the shadows of history
Poster of the movie Hidden Figures (2016)
The film focuses on three exceptional women: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. Despite their key roles in the success of space missions, their contributions were long ignored or minimized. Katherine Johnson calculated trajectories for the first American flights into space, Dorothy Vaughan became NASA's first African-American supervisor, and Mary Jackson became the organization's first African-American engineer.
A major cultural impact
Hidden Figures is more than a movie, it is a powerful reminder that behind the great technological advances, there are often forgotten women and men. The film highlights the injustices suffered by these women, both because of their gender and their skin color, while celebrating their intelligence and determination.
By bringing these stories to the big screen, the film helped raise public awareness of the Matilda effect and the importance of recognizing the contributions of women in science. It also inspired a new generation to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields.