Hypatia Movie Due in December, 2009

A history pic focusing on the story of Alexandrian philosopher and astronomer Hypatia is scheduled to be released to theaters this December. Actress Rachel Weisz plays the role of Hypatia, with two love interests Orestes (played by Oscar Isaac) and Ammonius, a Christian monk (played by Ashraf Barhom). That's the first clue that this is historical fiction. But then, we don't know all that much about Hypatia's life, and her works were lost when the Library at Alexandria was destroyed. Though early and recent writers disagree on what parts of the Great Library and its collections were destroyed when, a 391 decree by the Christian Emperor Theodosius resulted in some pagan temples being destroyed, and subsequent riots may have destroyed the "Museum" ("shrine of the Muses") where Hypatia taught.

The film's subject, according to promotional materials: "the brilliant astronomer Hypatia and her disciples fight to save the wisdom of the Ancient World." Rachel Weisz is quoted on the official movie website saying about her character, "The film is definitely the story about a woman who refuses to compromise her ideals .... She believes in reason and doubt and she is not willing to step down from that. It's pretty bold.

The film is by Alejandro Amenabar from Telecinco Cinema, with Amenabar and Mateo Gil responsible for the screenplay, and features Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Rupert Evans, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom and Michael Lonsdale. After a showing at the Toronto International Film Festival, it will be released to theaters December 18, 2009.

• Official web site for Agora, the movie - includes trailer, downloads, information about the story and characters
• Hypatia - biography on this site
• Hypatia of Alexandria - from About.com's Guide to Ancient History