The Last Journey Of A Genius: Richard Feynman Dreams of Tannu Tuva

I saw this film, or one like it (I remember the title "Tuva or Bust" for some reason), many years ago and have wanted to see it again ever since. I was fascinated by the arc of this story and the final outcome. Very cool find from Open Culture.

The Last Journey Of A Genius: Richard Feynman Dreams of Tannu Tuva

August 15th, 2011

In 1989, PBS’ NOVA aired The Last Journey of a Genius, a television film that documents the final days of the great physicist Richard Feynman and his obsession with traveling to Tannu Tuva, a state outside of outer Mongolia, which then remained under Soviet control. For the better part of a decade, Feynman and his friend Ralph Leighton schemed to make their way to Tannu Tuva, but Cold War politics always frustrated their efforts. The video runs roughly 50 minutes and features an ailing Feynman talking about his wanderlust and their maneuverings. He died two weeks later, having never made the trip, though Ralph Leighton and Feyman’s daughter Michelle later landed in their Shangri-La. Her journey was recorded by the Russian service of the BBC. The film now appears in the Documentary section of our collection of Free Movies Online.