Explore the Legacies of von Neumann and Oppenheimer: Free Documentary and Special Talk at SALA, Aug 30
As part of the Oppenheimer Festival’s Legacy Week, SALA Event Center is proud to host two extraordinary events that bring world history and local heritage into focus. Together, they highlight the lives of two of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century — John von Neumann and J. Robert Oppenheimer — and invite audiences to reflect on the legacy of science, ethics, and humanity.
The Most Brilliant Human Mind – Documentary on John von Neumann
With filmmaker Lívia Bertha, physicist Imre Pázsit
Saturday, August 30 · 4:00 PM · Free Showing
From Budapest to Los Alamos, The Most Brilliant Human Mind traces the life of John von Neumann, a mathematical prodigy whose ideas shaped quantum mechanics, game theory, modern computing, and the Manhattan Project.
Directed by Lívia Bertha and featuring commentary from physicist Imre Pázsit, the documentary combines rare archival footage with deeply personal insights, including interviews with von Neumann’s daughter. It presents not only the scientific genius, but also the human side of a man whose influence is still felt today in everything from nuclear physics to artificial intelligence.
Bertha reflected: “Von Neumann was not only a genius, he was a visionary. He could imagine the future of science and society in ways that still feel relevant today. With this film, I wanted audiences to come closer to the person behind the ideas.”
For Pázsit, contributing to the film was both professional and personal: “I grew up in Hungary surrounded by the legacy of von Neumann and other great scientists. To help tell his story, and to connect it back here in Los Alamos where he made such an impact, feels like coming full circle.”
This special Los Alamos screening will be followed by a conversation with the filmmakers, offering audiences the rare chance to hear directly from those who brought von Neumann’s story to the screen.
Director Lívia Bertha and physicist Imre Pázsit share why they made this film about John von Neumann and why it matters in Los Alamos.
Oppenheimer After Trinity: A Special Talk with Charles Oppenheimer
Saturday, August 30 · 6:30 PM · Tickets: SALA Members Free · Single Ticket $15
Immediately following the von Neumann screening, SALA will host a powerful evening centered on the legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project’s leader.
The program begins with a never-before-heard 30-minute audio interview between filmmaker Larry Sheffield and Charles Oppenheimer, the physicist’s grandson. Originally recorded for the award-winning documentary Oppenheimer After Trinity (winner of 19 international film festival awards), only seven minutes of this conversation have ever been released publicly. At SALA, audiences will experience the full interview, accompanied by rare photographs and visuals.
Following the interview, a live panel discussion will expand on Oppenheimer’s legacy, featuring:
Lívia Bertha (director, The Most Brilliant Human Mind)
Imre Pázsit (physicist, featured in The Most Brilliant Human Mind)
Todd Nichols (Los Alamos Historical Society)
Liz Martineau (J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee)
Nancy Bartlit (historian and author)
Together, they will reflect on Oppenheimer’s brilliance, burden, and the enduring questions he raised about science, morality, and peace.
Filmmaker Larry Sheffield explains the rare Charles Oppenheimer interview and why this story belongs in Los Alamos.”
These back-to-back programs create a rare moment: audiences in Los Alamos will engage with the intertwined legacies of Oppenheimer and von Neumann, two colleagues whose ideas shaped nuclear history and the digital future.
For Bertha, the film is about more than history: “This is not just science. It’s also humor, soul, and humanity. I hope viewers leave with something that makes them think — not just about the past, but about the future.”
For Pázsit, the events are about living legacy: “Even decades later, the questions Oppenheimer and von Neumann raised about technology, peace, and responsibility are still urgent. Sharing those questions here in Los Alamos is very meaningful.”
Event Details
SALA Event Center, Los Alamos
The Most Brilliant Human Mind – Sat, Aug 30 · 4:00 PM · Free
Oppenheimer After Trinity: A Special Talk with Charles Oppenheimer – Sat, Aug 30 · 6:30 PM
Tickets: SALA Members Free · Legacy Access $60 · Single Ticket $15
More info & tickets: oppenheimerfestival.com
