In this session, we watched the 1980s film adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's sci-fi novel, 'The Lathe of Heaven', followed by a discussion of its themes.
Set in a dystopian near future Portland, Oregon, protagonist George Orr is afflicted by uncontrollable 'effective' dreams that change reality. His psychiatrist, William Haber, seizes upon the opportunity to use one of his invented machines and hypnosis induced dream states to influence Orr's dreams and thus change reality. The battle is played out between the Haber's increasingly megalomaniac impositions upon the state of the world at the mercy of Orr and Orr's conviction that forcing change leaves too much destruction in its wake.
The film is available to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8VRbaVNvSA
Image credit: The Lathe of Heaven, PBS, 1980
