It was an evening in the name of technology at Forum des Images in Paris as the series Un Monde de Machines premiered Wednesday night. From March 2 until May 22, a number of screenings and events in tribute to machines and technology will take place here.

The opening evening was filled with nostalgia and laughter as we traveled down the technological memory lane. A number of short films were screened, and then we were treated to the French documentary Astroboy. Marc Caro’s documentary gave an interesting insight into the development of robots into having almost human characteristics. From the birth of “Astroboy” – the little Japanese robot – in 1952 until recent years, robots are replacing more and more human tasks. Walking out of the cinema I was not the only one wondering how far this ‘robotization’ of society can go in the future – both physically and emotionally…

Astroboy photo copyright: Les Films d'ici