Blending the worlds of chemistry and cooking, TV production and education, and women’s rights and civil rights, Lessons in Chemistry shows both the connections and the tensions between these things as protagonist Elizabeth Zott fights to make space for herself in a world that would prefer her to be just a pretty face.
In telling this story, four different sets of directors lent their creative voices to the project—each bringing their own ideas and aesthetics to bear. In our conversation with A camera and Steadicam operator Mikael Levin, SOC, we talked about what it was like adapting to those different styles while also combining them into a cohesive visual language for the series.
As a chemist fighting for recognition in a field dominated by men, Elizabeth Zott finally finds a partner in the acclaimed, but burnt-out chemist Calvin Evans, who recognizes her exceptional scientific skills. As Zott and Evans’ professional partnership develops, so too does an unorthodox romance, until both are cut short by tragedy. Without Evans to champion her work, Zott is promptly let go from the institution where she’s been working, while her work is stolen by other, less talented chemists. Struggling to find a new path forward, Zott ends up turning to an unconventional place—a televised cooking show—to teach fundamentals of chemistry while also inspiring her viewers to pursue their passions even as the world tells them they can’t. Based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry is created by Lee Eisenberg and stars Brie Larson, Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, and Patrick Walker.
Read the story here on SOC.org
David Daut 