I don't know why this documentary would be catagorized in the thriller genre, I must have missed a point there, but whatever, the truth is that I Am Human is a very interesting documentary, with serious topics like our brain capacities and how far we could or should explore, about curing all kind of diseases, injuries or conditions by understanding our brain functions better. I'm in awe when i see what we are already capable to achieve now, not sure though if it is morally correct to be able to alternate or improve certain things. Should we just cure illnesses, give sight back to a blind person, hearing to the deaf and other handicaps? Or instead should we look further and discover things we couldn't imagine a couple years ago? Things that aren't necessary a good thing even though it would improve everyone's personal life. Do we still need to stretch out our lifespan on this earth? We are already driving at a wall at high speed, with no breaks, the planet will be oversaturated, do we really need people to get much older? I Am Human raises questions, but most of all it brings hope for people with diseases or conditions that we thought were uncurable at one point. It's very well explained, sometimes emotional to watch, but it will make you for sure talk about it.
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You don't know what you don't know and I had no idea what progress scientists have made in treating people with Parkinson's, people who are severely paralyzed, blind, and more. All with brain interface technology that seems like it should be light years away!
This film, beautifully shot, truly boggles the mind as we get to see inside the lives of patients being given new never experienced independents with brain interfaces. You also will get to meet some internationally acclaimed scientists and technologists. Really, really cool things happening, folks!! -
Snewts24 June 2019I don't usually publish IMDB reviews, but after seeing this film at the Tribeca Film Festival I felt compelled to share my thoughts.
I Am Human is a documentary that ostensibly tells the story of three medical patients and their experiences with state-of-the-art neurotechnology. However, the film really shines when exploring the marriage of many of today's hot button themes: Technology, Medicine, Ethics, Entertainment, and Psychology.
The film features key contributions from thought leaders including Bryan Johnson, who is the CEO of Kernal and a pioneering entrepreneur in neurotechnology, and Nita Farahanu, who is a Professor of Law & Philosophy at Duke University. The film seamlessly moves between the three patients and industry experts, so that the audience gradually understands the risks and benefits of the emerging technology as the patients learn the same.
This is the rare documentary where the technical contributions match the narrative contributions. The cinematography, editing, and score were all fantastic and made me feel like I was watching a big-budget medical thriller instead of a thoughtful documentary. As an added bonus, the film is directed by two vibrant young women. Their intelligence and passion was infectious and obvious through each segment of the film, even before they participated in a live Q&A session after the film.
As my personal methodology, I only award films a maximum 10/10 score if they hit me in both the head and the heart. That is, if they make me both think and feel deeply. I Am Human checks those boxes and more. It is the first film in a few years where I left with zero criticisms, yet many questions. I do not expect my questions to be answered for several years, until neurotechnology enters our homes and lives, but I wait with both excitement and fear over how the technology could change our understanding of what it means to be "human."
I Am Human is a masterpiece. It should not be limited to film festivals and deserves a wider release. If I had watched this film during high school or college, then I would have strongly considered focusing my studies on neurotechnology. Highly recommended. -
klokusa4 March 2020Until this documentary, the merging of man and machine had traditionally been relegated to science fiction. I Am Human gives us a close up view into the rapid advancements in neurotech, and previews what our post-human future looks like.
Highly recommend watching -
TS-imdb3 March 2020"I AM HUMAN is a tech doc with a refreshing focus on people.... a moving trio of narratives about people who are trying to overcome serious physical limitations with cutting-edge brain science." - The Verge
"An unusually intelligent, wide-ranging, and balanced overview of where the research stands..... a compelling and thought-provoking experience" - The Big Think
"A visually stunning movie...I AM HUMAN takes a deep-dive into the complex intersection of medicine and technology, it handles its subjects' lives and relationships with great care. " - Dell Technologies Magazine
"I Am Human has its optimistic curiosities and lets its audience contemplate their own curiosities. It doesn't pretend that the path is clear, but it is moving forward." - Slash Film Daily
"Watching Bill, Stephen, and Anne grapple with the decision to implant chips in their brains is a far more difficult reality than anything in Black Mirror." - Wired
"Deeply thoughtful yet boundlessly optimistic...I AM HUMAN explores the future of brain computer interfaces to treat debilitating illnesses and strengthen qualities such as empathy and creativity" - Psychology Today, July 2019
"The film is scientific and humanizing, with a narrative that bounces back and forth between neurosurgeons and the lives of ordinary people. So begins "I Am Human," an unsettling and fascinating film about brain implant technology and the future implications of artificial intelligence." - The Sunflower
"Everything about this documentary captivated me. I AM HUMAN takes a fascinating look at how technology can be combined with the human body to possibly help people that modern medicine can't. On top of the intriguing ideas explored in the film, all of the subjects are interesting and their stories truly tugged at my heart." - Dan Repp, Other Worlds Senior Programmer and Event Director
"...an important new addition pertaining to vital discussions around the delicate intersection of the brain and its actual augmentation by technology that is anticipated to take place in a mass manner." - Forbes
"The future is here and that's a good thing. Finally, a medical doc that captures cutting edge science with real progress and emotional payoff. I left the film energized for what comes next." - Igal Svet, Senior Director of Development, Nat Geo
"A fascinating look at the capabilities of the intersection of artificial intelligence & the human brain, told through genuine human experience. Co-directors Taryn Southern & Elena Gaby want you to understand the belief that 'the future is not dystopic.' Their doc exemplified hope, even for this tech skeptic." - Maura Bennett - producer for NBC News & MSNBC
"...MIND BLOWING! See this MOVIE!!!!" - Liz Spaulding, Director, Marketing at Starz
"The film is magnificent. Powerful, beautifully shot, emotional and an exciting glimpse into what is coming." - Mark Goffman, Producer/Writer (West Wing, The Umbrella Project)
Awards: 1. Best of the Fest - El Dorado Film Festival 2. Audience Choice - Best Feature - Eastern Oregon Film Festival 3. Outstanding First Feature - Tallgrass Film Festival 4. Best Director - Oslo Film Festival 5. #2 Critics Choice - Trieste Science Fiction Film Festival 6. Best Feature - Other Worlds Austin
FESTIVALS: Tribeca Film Festival, Catalina Film Festival, El Dorado Film Festival, Buffalo Film Festival, Eastern Oregon Film Festival, Tallgrass Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival, Other World's Film Festival, Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival, Heartland International Film Festival, Trieste Film Festival (Italy), Oslo Film Festival (Norway), American Film Festival (Poland), Future Gate Sci-Fi Film Festival, Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Transitions Film Festival (Australia), Treefort Festival (Idaho) -
Gordon-1118 May 2020This is a well made documentary which focuses on the breakthroughs of deep brain stimulation. However, I find the documentary rather one sided, presenting only the positives of the breakthroughs. Hence, I regard this as an infomercial rather than a real documentary.
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amolad16 July 2020I was surprised at how gripping this documentary was. Directors Elena Gaby and Taryn Southern relay some complex ideas and technologies with clarity, and never lose focus on the audience's emotional connection to the people who are being helped by this technology. We come to love these characters and care about them even as our minds are being stimulated by the cutting-edge and mindblowing techniques. It's a really interesting and inspiring film.
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Everyone uses stairways. Stair ways on wheels, stairways that are flat, tiny stairsways. One of the stairways that wasn't featured, the ocean stairway, was red. This wasnt a real stairway, but instead imagined. An individual imagins someone leaving the ocean on these red stairs, climbing to the top and waiting at the top.
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alihmgre16 March 2020If you're into in things like biotech and transhumanism; or, you have a loved one with a brain disorder, blindness, or paralysis; "I Am Human" is a must-watch. There is so much hope in the future of medicine. This doc made me feel all the feels!
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filmfanchicago20204 March 2020This documentary shows the amazing ways in which science is already using brain interface technology to help people, and gives insight into developments already in progress to further these capabilities. The film is beautifully made and the stories of the three patients featured are beautifully told.
I am excited to see what happens next... -
anders_p4 March 2020I saw this film at a private screening in Los Angeles and have not been able to stop thinking about it!
That implanted technology in someone's brain can meaningfully change their sense of self, capabilities and motivations was something I considered to be the domain of science fiction. The characters in the movie demonstrate that it is happening now, and hundreds of thousands of people have these implants. This was shocking to me!
I Am Human changed my thinking about the future, including what it means to be human, potential decisions my loved ones and I may need to make if we face a neurodegenerative disease, and more broadly, the implications of this technology as it becomes more mainstream (i.e. improving human ability).
The movie is scientifically credible and sober, laudably avoiding hype which would have been easy to include but at the cost of believability with such a consequential topic. There are also moments of lightheartedness and humor in the film, which helped as I tried to get my head around such big and complicated ideas.
In time, I Am Human will probably be looked back upon as the marker of when a new era was beginning to take shape, but was still invisible to most, helping seed the new and thorny questions that we will all have to grapple with. -
This film felt like a sci-fi documentary, but the fact that it was REAL made it even more exciting. It was both hopeful, and lovingly put together. I've already watched it TWICE!
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sebastien-simpson17 November 2019Beautifully crafted movie and a fascinating topic. A lot of research was conducted to create this pearl.
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bigaxon5 March 2020Watched it late last night, the first night available on OTT and bought it at full price. It was well worth it.
As a physician-scientist with a BS in psych and a PhD in neuroscience who almost worked for kernel.co, I thought Elena and Taryn and team killed it. They struck a perfect balance of tech, clinical efficacy, emotion, and optimism.
I felt it was a highly accessible treatment of the subject that could pull anyone in... although I will need to watch it again with non-neuroscientist friends.
I still remember the first time in 1997 I saw a DBS (deep brain stimulator) unit turned on in a Parkinson's patient at neurosurgery grand rounds. It brought tears to my eyes.
So too last night.
Congratulations!!! Huge fan. -
olga-6716514 March 2020.... for many weeks after. It was a wonderful walk into the future, exciting and terrifying at the same time.
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For years, my wife has complained about a particular fact of modern life: having to carry one's smartphone everywhere, both for the conveniences it offers and the expectations of the world that we can be reached anywhere, anytime. And for years, I've predicted that it's only a matter of time before most of us will no longer have to keep track of that hunk of glass and metal in our pockets because it will eventually be wearable, if not implanted. That our computer tech will increasingly blend seamlessly with our bodies.
I Am Human is a fascinating and very real glimpse into the medical applications that are helping to drive this blending of human and computer into something greater than the sum of its parts, TODAY. It's also a wonderful story of how people in tragic circumstances, and the medical and computer scientists who work with them, are contributing to the betterment of future humans. In the future, which is NOW, when new people suffer these medical situations the medical pioneers will have provide help, NOW.
The film is clear, understandable, and relatable on both human and computer science terms. It documents that the melding of human and computer platforms can be miracles to be celebrated, not nightmares to be feared. There is goodness, and hope, in our tech relationships with our bodies. -
erikawoodrum4 March 2020This film shows how lives are affected by neuromuscular disorders, and reminds you to never take the little thing for granted. If technology can help bring back any independence, it is truly a wonderful thing.
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Not only is the study of this specific technology fascinating, but the storylines of each character throughout the film connected me to the heart of why these studies are so important. Left me thinking for days after. I would absolutely recommend this documentary to anyone who is curious about the possibilities created when technology and humanity merge.
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Fascinating look at the latest tech that's bringing man and machine closer than ever. It's a thorough, well-researched take on the state of implantable brain interfaces. Unlike other takes on the same topic, it's narrative and people driven so it's easy to digest and extrapolate the implications for us as humans. Thought-provoking and hard to forget!
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jillerickson-065447 March 2020This documentary is thought provoking, moving, encouraging and beautifully photographed, I encourage everyone to see I Am Human, a wonderful documentary.
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josephjohnspano6 March 2020"I Am Human" brings you to the front line of invasive and noninvasive brain computer/machine interfaces. Laughed, cried, learned a lot, and left with a new found hope that an idiot like me may actually be smart one day!