George Csicsery | |
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| Born | March 17, 1948 |
| Education | UC Berkeley (BA) San Francisco State University (MFA) |
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| Known for | N is a Number and otherdocumentary films |
| Website | zalafilms.com |
George Paul Csicsery (born March 17, 1948) is aHungarian-American writer and independent filmmaker who has directed 35 films including performance films, dramatic shorts and documentaries. He is best known for his documentaries about mathematicians and mathematical communities.[1]
George Csicsery was born inRegensburg, Germany to Hungarian parents who had fled their native country after WWII (his father was a monarchist army officer).[1] In 1951, the family emigrated toCleveland, Ohio. After a series of menial jobs his father became a successful stained glass and enamel artist and his mother became head of the slide library at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), and assistant to renowned Asian art historian,Sherman Lee.
George obtained a BA inComparative Religion fromUC Berkeley (1969), and an MFA in Film Production fromSan Francisco State University (1972).[1]
He taughtfilm editing at Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco from 1982 to 1997, and general cinema courses to undergraduates atSan Francisco State University in 1996 and atUC Davis in 1998.[2]
He once said, "I am interested in people who can find happiness in creating their own world. That is true of mathematicians and romance writers. These people are creating universes different from where they live."[2] In 2009 he received theJoint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) Communications Award for his work showing the process of mathematical thinking through the medium of film.[3]
Csicsery has written about the difficulties of being a displaced person after WWII, and about his two brothers−one of whom fought in theHungarian Revolution.[4]
Writing inNature Magazine Davide Castelvecchi said, "Csicsery has carved a niche as a maker of compelling films about mathematicians".[5]Beginning in March 2022, as part of the celebration ofWomen's History Month,Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani will be shown on more than 300 PBS stations.[6]
Much of Csicsery's work since the early 1990s has been about eminent mathematicians or the mathematics community in general. These include:
He worked withScott Kim andKarl Schaffer to produce a series of films about string polyhedra and other recreational math topics.[20]
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