On September 15, 2026, the second evening of the “Science Meets Fiction – Film & Reflection” series took place at the Schauburg Dortmund. The film “Futur Drei” was screened, followed by a sociological analysis led by Alexis Rodríguez Suárez and a discussion with the audience. Loris Wissel from Sunrise Dortmund moderated the event.
“Science meets Fiction – Film & Reflection” is a project led by Prof. Dr. Emra Ilgün-Birhimeoğlu(Opens in a new tab) and Prof. Dierk Borstel in the Faculty of Applied Social Studies. It is carried out in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Emra Ilgün-Birhimeoğlu(Opens in a new tab) and Prof. Dierk Borstel(Opens in a new tab) in the Faculty of Applied Social Studies(Opens in a new tab) . It is carried out in cooperation with Sunrise Dortmund(Opens in a new tab) .
Good mirrors aren't cheap
A central starting point for the discussion was the question of what changes when stories are told by people who have had relevant experiences and hold corresponding perspectives. Following this, the discussion covered topics such as anti-queer sentiment, racism, migration, intersectionality, youth and the future, hybrid identities and affiliations, as well as processes of self-perception and how others perceive us.
In this context, Alexis Rodríguez Suárez introduced a quote from Audre Lorde into the discussion: “Good mirrors are not cheap.”
A film is not a simple or neutral reflection of social reality. It plays a role in determining who is made visible, who is allowed to speak, from which perspective a story is told, and which experiences are taken for granted or labeled as “different.”
This idea was particularly relevant to the film analysis. A film is not a simple or neutral mirror of social reality. It plays a role in determining who becomes visible, who is allowed to speak, from which perspective a story is told, and which experiences are marked as self-evident or as “different.”
*Futur Drei*, in particular, opened up a productive avenue of inquiry here. The film depicts migration, queer life, family, and belonging not exclusively from an outside perspective, but rather makes the tension between self-perception and external attribution the very subject of the film. This made it easy to explore in discussion how social labels arise, how different forms of belonging are experienced simultaneously, and how various experiences of discrimination and inequality intersect.
The quote from Audre Lorde can also be read as a reminder that good representation is not a given: A “good mirror” must take perspectives seriously, make ambivalences visible, and must not simply reproduce social conditions in a distorted way. It is precisely this question—how films depict social reality and which perspectives they open up or limit in the process—that lies at the heart of Science meets Fiction.
We would like to thank Alexis Rodríguez Suárez, Loris Wissel, and all participants for the engaged and open discussion.
The third event in the "Science Meets Fiction" series will take place on October 22
The series concludes with the third and final event: On October 22, 2026(Opens in a new tab) , we will screen “Clashing Differences” at the Schauburg Dortmund. Following the screening, we will analyze and discuss the film together with Dr. Münevver Azizoğlu-Bazan.
The “Science Meets Fiction – Film & Reflection” project is funded by the Fachhochschule Dortmund and the Faculty of Applied Social Studies.
Prof. Emra Ilgün-Birhimeoglu, Dr.
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