Ancient Alexandria is the setting for this epic drama that stars Rachel Weisz as the little-known astronomer Hypatia. Though she comes up with the revolutionary idea that the planets revolve around the sun, she is vilified because of her gender and, more dangerously, because she is considered a pagan at a time when Christians are gaining power. Director Alejandro Amenábar (The Sea Inside) makes a powerful argument for independent thought over religious faith; his portrayal of the infamous raid on the library at Alexandria is devastating and masterfully shot. However, he does also put his heroine on a very high pedestal and she often seems removed from the turmoil at ground level and aloof in her dealings with slave Davus (Max Minghella) and adoring, privileged student Orestes (a complex turn from Oliver Isaac). But ultimately it's Hypatia's unswerving passion for science that gives the film its pulse.

A historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and her relationship with her slave Davus, who is torn between his love for her and the possibility of gaining his freedom by joining the rising tide of Christianity.