AllMovie

Ruler. Warrior. Astronomer. Ulugh Beg (1394-1449) was one of the world's greatest astronomical minds, an enlightened leader who turned medieval Samarkand (in modern day Uzbekistan) into one of the great centers of learning and science. Through dramatic battle scenes starring Armand Assante (Gotti, American Gangster), cutting-edge CGI, interviews with academics and astronauts, archival footage, and stunning narration from Vincent Cassel (Black Swan, Shrek), Ulugh Beg: The Man Who Unlocked the Universe chronicles how Ulugh Beg transformed an ancient city into the center of astronomical learning. One hundred and fifty years before Galileo invented the telescope, Ulugh Beg built the largest astronomical instruments on earth, using his incredible observatory to map the stars, making precise calculations and charts still in use today. Blast off on a stunning, cinematic journey that follows Ulugh Beg rom his birth as a prince through his unusual childhood and education right up to his untimely death... foretold in the stars.