The documentary series North Star follows the inspiring journey of Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, a resident astronomer at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. As principal investigator for the facility’s SIGNALS project, she heads a team of some 60 researchers. Together, they’re attempting to unravel the mysteries of star formation and better understand the role that stars play in the Universe.
Directed by Patrick Bossé, the series chronicles the remarkable daily life of this Quebec-born Innu scientist. From the summit of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano, Laurie scans the skies using state-of-the-art instruments. In five short episodes that combine human interest and science, we meet a determined young woman who excels in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field. A first-rate science communicator, Laurie conveys her passion for celestial objects and the importance of understanding where we come from to gain a better grasp of where we’re headed.