Blackberry

BLACKBERRY – The Curious Success of Failure

How the BlackBerry revolutionized daily life, even as it flamed out spectacularly.

Brendan Bordelon, Politico’s tech lobbying and influence reporter, and series host Jason Dick, Editor-in-Chief of Roll Call, discuss how a quirky Canadian start-up company ushered in the attention economy, rewiring our personal communication, jobs, politics and attention spans.

About the Film: Every era has its visionaries, and BLACKBERRY, co-written by Director Matt Johnson and Producer Matthew Miller, investigates the brilliance of the individuals that invented the world’s first smartphone. Recounting the Canadian company’s humble yet chaotic rise to market dominance, BLACKBERRY is a darkly comedic telling of the tragic tale of a Canadian company that revolutionized the way we communicate, before swiftly plummeting into obsolescence.

It’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep their company, Research in Motion, afloat. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to join the company, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create and sell a prototype of their invention. Seemingly overnight the three men revolutionize the way people work, communicate and connect. Celebrities, politicians and businessmen are now addicted to their Blackberrys. The company’s value skyrockets, yet within a few short years shady business dealings, personal grievances, and, perhaps most dangerously, the iPhone, threaten the company’s incredible success.

ONE SHOW ONLY! Wednesday, May 7 @ 7:30PM in Avalon 1

About the Speakers:

Brendan Bordelon is Politico’s tech lobbying and influence reporter, tracking how Silicon Valley burrows into Washington policy making. He’s particularly focused on lobbying efforts related to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, advanced microchips and quantum computing. Brendan has covered tech policy in the nation’s capital for over seven years. He joined Politico in 2022 and previously reported for National Journal. Brendan grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, but has lived in Washington, D.C., for over a decade. He graduated from the University of California at Riverside in 2012, and earned a master’s degree in international science and technology policy from George Washington University in 2022. He lives with his wife and dog in the H Street neighborhood, where he can often be found at one of several local watering holes. In his spare time he enjoys hiking and playing video games. Despite being several decades from retirement age, he also plays in a pickleball league on Thursdays.

Jason Dick is the editor in chief of CQ Roll Call and the host of its Political Theater podcast. He has also worked at National Journal and for the AmeriCorps program, and is a former English teacher at the university and high school levels. A one-time screener for the SXSW Film Festival, he is a native of Arizona and lives on Capitol Hill.

Science on Screen® launched at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA in 2005. In partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and its pioneering nationwide film program, the Coolidge has expanded Science on Screen to 122 cinemas nationwide. Throughout the academic year, SoS creatively pairs screenings of classic, cult, science fiction, and documentary films with lively presentations by notable experts from the world of science and technology. Each film is used as a jumping-off point for a speaker to introduce current research or technological advances in a manner that engages popular culture audiences—enhancing film and scientific literacy through film.