29 Nov29 November 20:00
Cinema Victoria, Timisoara
Special guests:
- Dr. Alessandro Mongera. Lecturer in Developmental Mechanics, Cell and Developmental Biology - University College London (UCL) (online participation - Zoom platform)
- Irina-Margareta Nistor, Film critic
- Dr Raluca Dumache, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara
- Vlad Arimia, PhD Candidate in STEM Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London (UCL)
Today, research on human embryo development has reached an unprecedented point. On the one hand, gene editing technologies allow the manipulation of human embryos. On the other hand, techniques for growing three-dimensional cell cultures (embryoids and organoids) allow the in vitro growth of synthetic embryos that faithfully mimic the processes observed during normal human development. However, all these recent findings need to be understood in a broader context - from the current technical limitations to ethical issues concerning the 'humanness' of synthetic embryos and the implications of creating genetic changes that can be inherited.
To introduce this important and little-discussed topic in our society, we have chosen to start with the film Gattaca (1997). In this dystopia, a world is presented in which the concept of the designer baby is a reality and dictates the socio-economic status of all citizens: everything from employment and status in society to life prospects is dictated by a person's genes. Directed by Andrew Niccol, the film stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law. The film presents a biopunk vision of a future society ruled by eugenics, in which potential children are conceived through genetic selection to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. The film centres on Vincent Freeman, played by Hawke, who was conceived outside of the eugenics program and struggles to overcome genetic discrimination to fulfil his dream of going into space.
The film is based on concerns about reproductive technologies that facilitate eugenics and the possible consequences of such technological developments for society. The film also explores the idea of destiny and how it can and does govern lives. The characters in Gattaca continually struggle with both society and themselves to find their place in the world and who they are meant to be based on their genes.
The film's title is inspired by a short sequence of DNA, the letters A, T, C, and G representing the established abbreviations for the nitrogenous bases of nucleic acids: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The film was nominated in 1997 for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction and a Golden Globe for Best Original Score.
