( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) Biopic Film Sheds Light on the Legacy of First Computer Programmer Ada Lovelace
ENSPIRE Contributor: Grace Chai
A biopic film, ADA, casting light on the life and legacy of mathematician Ada Bryon Lovelace, the first computer programmer, was recently released on several streaming platforms. Set in London in 1851, it follows the true story of Ada, a real-life intellectual who challenged Victorian sexism to raise the funds needed to complete her life’s goal of building the world’s first computer. The actress who plays Ada Lovelace in the film, Julie Bruns, co-wrote and co-produced the project.
“A large motivation in creating this film was to share her incredible story and also inspire young people and women in STEM, reminding them that not only is there space for women in this field, but amazing women have been trailblazing at the forefront of STEM since the beginning,” she said.
The film focuses on Ada’s vision of the significance of computers in the world near the end of her short life as she races to raise the funds to build the world’s first computer powered by steam. The significance of her legacy is apparent, as seen through her notes’ impact on Alan Turing 100 years later, which led to the creation of the first computer.
The real-life Ada worked with Charles Babbage, a Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge, to create a new calculating machine. She died of cancer in 1852 at 37 years old, and her legacy has recently resurfaced.
ADA is directed by Steven Kammerer and stars Julie Bruns as Ada Lovelace, Hanneke Talbot (Star Trek Discovery, Ready or Not) as Mary, John Emmet Tracy (Yellowstone, Batwoman, iZombie) as Woronzow Grieg, Matthew Kevin Anderson (Travelers, Resident Alien) as John Crosse and Jim Byrnes (Highlander, Beasties) as Murray. It was filmed and finished in 8 days as part of the Crazy8s filmmaking program in Vancouver, Canada, and features a nod to the era that Ada Lovelace lived in, down to the set.
“Much research went into the film to ensure accuracy – from little details about Ada and the people around her to Ada’s actress (me!) wearing a period-specific corset, right down to authentic glasses from the 1850s used in the dinner party scene,” Bruns said.
ADA has played at the Hollyshorts and Raindance film festivals as the Stage 32 Grand Prize Winner and at over 30 other festivals, including the Coronado Island Film Festival, Montreal International History Film Festival, Long Beach International Film Festival, and Silicon Valley International Film Festival. It has won two Sofie Awards and a Leo Award.
You can watch ADA here. Learn more about the film on Twitter or Instagram.
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