I Am Human & Tides At EOU

Friday // McKenzie Theater at EOU // 6:00pm

EOFF invites festival attendees, filmmakers and the larger Eastern Oregon community to attend a special screening of I Am Human.

**Please join us in the Loso Hall Commons for snacks, drinks and conversation at 6:00pm, the films will start at 7:00**
**Co-Director Elena Gaby will be in attendance at this screening and will be participating in a Q&A after the film has finished.**
** FREE ADMISSION TO EOU STUDENTS

A female-directed and produced sci-fi documentary, I AM HUMAN explores the co-evolution of humans and technology

There are several hundred thousand people in the world with implantable technology in their brains. By the year 2029, that number – based on industry estimations – is expected to triple. The film follows the harrowing and courageous journeys of three of the world’s first “cyborgs” and the scientists and entrepreneurs on the cusp of unlocking the secrets of the human brain.

Meet Anne, Bill, and Stephen. Bill, paralyzed in a biking accident, signs up for a mysterious research study in hopes to regain movement. Stephen, a former Canadian government IT officer, undergoes a novel bionic eye implantation to regain sight. Anne, a former artist with degenerative Parkinson’s, considers deep brain stimulation as a solution to her worsening symptoms. As we follow their three journeys, society is forced to reconcile with the larger implications: will the same technologies that heal disease and dysfunction lead to superhuman abilities, telepathic communication, and cognitive enhancement?

In addition to the primary characters, the film features institutions including The Wyss Center, Duke University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Washington, BrainGate2, and Second Sight and interviews with entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, neuroscientists John Donoghue, Andres Lozano, David Eagleman, Andres Lozano, Bobby Kasthuri, Chantel Prat, and Miguel Nicolelis, surgeon Robert Devenyi, sci-fi author Ramez Naam, ethicist Tristan Harris and professor of law and philosophy Nita Farahany, amongst others.

“When I began as a neuroscientist it was impossible to imagine that curiosity to figure out the greatest puzzle of what it means to be human – brain research – could lead in my lifetime to a whole field that will have vast impact on humanity, says Director of the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Dr. John Donoghue. “I think a fundamental understanding of a principle by which the brain computes will be one of the greatest revolutions in scientific history.”

 

FEATURED SHORT FILM:
TIDES (dir. Masami Kwai) // 2019, USA, 12:00, Fiction
A family attempts to repair their estrangement with an outing to the beach. Five-year-old Kai tries to make sense of her new family configuration with her dad’s return. The alienation of a family seems more challenging to mend than the promise of a summer afternoon.

This event is sponsored in part by Eastern Oregon University and GO-STEM