The Human Story of a Real-Life Cyborg in UK Cinemas from 20th September
Colour Blind Artist, Neil Harbisson, is the World's First Formally-Recognised Cyborg
Wednesday 14th August, London, UK: Tull Stories is thrilled to announce the release of Cyborg: A Documentary, coming to UK Cinemas 20th September.
Artist Neil Harbisson wants to convince the world that technological enhancement of our senses is a force for good.
Born only being able to see in black and white, Neil yearned from a young age to experience how others feel the emotive power of colour. When he was 21 he had an ‘eyeborg’ antenna, that translates colour waves into sound frequencies, permanently implanted in his skull.
Together with childhood friend, choreographer and cyborg collaborator, Moon Ribas, Neil went on to establish the Cyborg Foundation and the Transpecies Society. These aim to promote the creation of new technological senses, give a voice to non-human identities and defend the freedom of self-design.
In Cyborg: A Documentary, Neil and Moon confront their detractors head on, communicating their controversial ideas about the technological future of humankind. The number of humans becoming ‘cyborgs’ is growing year on year and our species is on the verge of being able to design and re-design itself at will. As Neil says "This is happening!” But is the world ready to listen?
Cyborg: A Documentary will be in UK Cinemas from 20th September
Director's Statement - Carey Born
"I became interested in making a film about Neil because his dual persona, as cyborg and artist, could provide the perfect lens through which to examine the rising urgency in understanding the tensions between technology and humanity. Though widely known as the first ‘cyborg’, Neil’s story is ironically about things that are fundamentally most human - the pursuit of experience, the persistence of curiosity, creative expression and the power of imagination.
There is drama in his story too. On his journey to becoming technologically enhanced, Neil has faced considerable physical and psychological pain, and as his fame grows and he continues to assume a leadership role in the cyborg community, it increasingly places him in the cross hairs of critics and, most dangerously, religious zealots. His is also the story of human evolution - a topic rife with conflict.
Nevertheless, Neil and his cyborg partner Moon both exhibit a reluctance to be swayed by fear or negativity absorbed from our sci-fi cultural inheritance. To counterbalance their attitude, and create a context for their cyborg story in terms of past and present, archive references are interwoven amongst the filmed footage.
By relating their personal stories and linking them to the bigger picture, the film is intimate in its storytelling but epic in the ideas it raises. It examines the ways in which cutting-edge technology can be used to make us feel more connected to others, how it can amplify our idiosyncrasies and enrich our perception and perspective on the world.
But it also addresses the ways in which Neil’s and Moon’s actions and mission are deeply challenging and controversial. Anchored in the debate about what makes us human, the film poses the most pertinent questions of our time about the enhancement capabilities that are opening up for our species and the human agendas that will drive them forward."
Distributor: Tull Stories
Theatrical Release Date: 20th September
Short Synopsis: Colour-blind artist Neil Harbisson is the world’s first formally-recognised cyborg. He has an antenna implanted in his head that allows him to hear colour. Now Neil is on a mission to convince the world to follow him and adopt his credo: DesignYourself.
Director: Carey Born
Cast: Neil Harbisson, Moon Ribas, Manel Muñoz, Oryan Inbar and Ophelia Deroy
Run Time: 87 Minutes
Cert: TBC
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