Noah's Ark Theme Park Is Ground Zero Of Science Vs. Creationism In Upcoming Doc

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 9, 2017 9:06PM

With a climate change denialist poised to head the Environmental Protection Agency, we’re entering a strongly “anti-science” political moment, experts argue.

But while the shift appears driven largely by anti-elite sentiment, Christian fundamentalism—though diminished in the national spotlight compared to the recent past—continue to influence that atmosphere. One of the most noteworthy recent examples is Ark Encounter, a theme-park replica of Noah’s Ark in rural Kentucky and the subject of an in-the-works documentary from local production house 137 Films.

Ark Encounter, which opened last summer, is operated by Answers in Genesis, the same evolution-skeptic group that runs the Creation Museum, also in Kentucky. The “creation scientists” behind the life-sized ark advances, under the guise of scientific theory, the idea that Noah saved dinosaurs from the flood. The filmmakers behind We Believe in Dinosaurs chronicled AE, the political firestorm it ignited and America’s curious relationship with creationism.

Co-director Clayton Brown says that such topics are “intertwined” with the sort of anti-expertise impulse that fuels climate-change denialism, but they incorporate a dense tangle of political aspects, too—ones that aren’t isolated to one particular geographic area. “A lot of people instinctively think this just the South and a small group of isolated individuals,” Brown told Chicagoist by phone, but AiG has some 15 other similar museums, including in Canada, New York and Minnesota, he said.

But the Ark Encounter was something of a flashpoint, as state and local officials argued in favor of tax incentives—even as advocates for the separation of church and state protests—and all applicants for employment (“all the way down to the janitor,” Brown says) were required to sign pro-creationist pledges that also stated homosexuality is sinful. And destinations like Ark Encounter signal a shift from belief in creationism to active attempts to strategically debunk evolution, the filmmakers note.

At the same time, the filmmakers found a failure from mainstream science to effectively respond, either claiming that any response would validate such “anti-science” or open them up to charges of condescension, Brown says. (The filmmaker says the crew was very conscious of avoiding an arrogant tone; Brown offers up Bill Maher’s snark bomb Religulous as example of what he sought to avoid.)

The film is currently in post-production, and the directors and producers have an Indiegogo campaign, in association with Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) to help with costs. Brown said the goal is to complete the film and enter it in festivals later this year. A free-with-RSVP sneak preview of scenes and discussion with Brown and co-director Monica Ross takes place on Tuesday, 5 p.m., at Google Chicago. Registration is required and can be made here.

We Believe in Dinosaurs from 137 Films on Vimeo.