June 30, 2016
Susan Sarandon Crowdfunds for Hedy Lamarr Documentary
EDGE READ TIME: 3 MIN.
It's one of the greatest untold stories of Women in Tech. Few people know that a female inventor helped pave the way for the technology behind wireless phones, Bluetooth, GPS, and even Wi-Fi. Most wouldn't guess that she was also a Hollywood bombshell. During "MGM's Golden Age" in the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was one of the most beautiful actresses in the world.�She was also one of the smartest.
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In June 1941 Lamarr submitted a patent to the U.S. Inventor's Council in Washington D.C. for a secret communications system called "Frequency Hopping." Decades later that patent would go on to help pave the way for the creation of wireless phones, Bluetooth, GPS, and even Wi-Fi.�Frequency hopping is also used in the $43 billion dollar Milstar Satellite system used by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Command.
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Hedy Lamarr died in 2000 receiving no compensation and very little praise for her groundbreaking work.�To honor Lamarr's achievement, Susan�Sarandon�and Reframed Pictures are producing a documentary on Lamarr's remarkable life and joining forces with Fund Dreamer, a crowdfunding platform dedicated to women and diversity, to crowdfund and pay for a gravesite memorial to Lamarr.
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"This is the story of a Hollywood actress, defined by her appearance, who was secretly a brilliant inventor and helped change the course of history," said Sarandon. "Until recently, Hedy Lamarr has laid in an unmarked grave in the Vienna Central Cemetery."
To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Hedy Lamarr's "Frequency Hopping" patent,�Fund Dreamer and�Reframed Pictures are crowdfunding $9,000 to pay for a gravesite memorial for the�actress, which will be a physical reminder of Lamarr's contribution to technology for generations to come.
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The gravesite memorial features 88 stainless steel rods to represent the 88 frequencies in Lamarr's "Frequency Hopping" patent. These stainless steel rods and balls generate an optical illusion of Lamarr's face when visitors stand in front of her grave. The memorial was commissioned by Lamarr's son, Anthony Loder, who is in failing health and now needs help in paying for the gravesite marker.
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The campaign was created through Fund Dreamer, in collaboration with Katherine Drew, the producer of the Hedy Lamarr documentary. The campaign goes�through�July 10th�and�offers different levels of donation-based rewards.
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Various levels of rewards include meeting Susan Sarandon and her documentary film team at Reframed Pictures in New York City and attending the premiere of the film in New York or Los Angeles.
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"Many women in tech know Hedy Lamarr's story. Like Hedy, all of us are both beauty and brains.�To honor Hedy's work, and our own, we are launching the #WeAreHedy challenge," said Yulia Laricheva, co-founder of Fund Dreamer.
The campaign is being kicked off with a #WeAreHedy social media challenge. We're asking women to post a black and white selfie with a description of what they do in tech and use the hashtag #WeAreHedy and nominate your friends to do the same. Nominated participants have 75 hours to post their selfie or forfeit by way of a donation to the memorial.
For more information, visit https://www.funddreamer.com/campaigns/the-hedy-lamarr-memorial