The film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly will be screened tomorrow at 6.30pm at the auditorium at the University of Malta’s Faculty of ICT, as part of CineXjenza, an initiative that aims to spark discussion on science topics raised in films.

The film is based on the true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffered a stroke and now lives with locked-in syndrome, whereby he can see and understand the world around him but is unable to move, and can only communicate by blinking his left eye.

After the screening, guest speaker Dr Owen Falzon from the University of Malta and Dr Josanne Aquilina will talk about the science behind this illness and ways how the latest research can help people with mobility impairment.

Falzon is a biomedical engineer specialised in understanding brain signals that are interpreted by a computer to make devices like wheelchairs, curtains, or even music players move just by thinking. Aquilina is a consultant neurologist at Mater Dei hospital.

The event is part of Malta Brain Awareness Week activities.