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A peer-reviewed electronic journal published by the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (2010)
BibTeX
@MISC{10apeer-reviewed,
author = {},
title = {A peer-reviewed electronic journal published by the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies},
year = {2010}
}
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Abstract
If confronted with a totally different being, would we try to understand how it differs from us, or how it resembles us? To what extent is our desire to learn how biological life works motivated by personal or social factors? What are the implications of seeing the elements of life as commodities? These are some questions raised by Splice (dir. Vincenzo Natali 2010), an intriguing and well-crafted film concerned with artificially produced hybrid life (a warning that this review contains “spoilers”). The story is in many ways a family drama, cast against the background of genetic research and the financial interests that such research carries for large pharmaceutical corporations. Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) are geneticists, researching new ways of using cell and DNA technology to develop medical treatments for diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Besides being research collaborators they are also a married couple, allowing for themes of sexuality and procreation to be crafted into the narrative. In their ambitious attempts to create a new animal hybrid gene, they break protocol and add some human DNA into their gene-mix. The experiment is surprisingly successful and produces a live creature, a female hybrid, composed of human, animal, insect, fish, and bird
Keyphrases
peer-reviewed electronic journal emerging technology adrien brody elsa kast clive nicoli vincenzo natali dna technology financial interest family drama large pharmaceutical corporation medical treatment social factor genetic research married couple hybrid life human dna many way new animal hybrid gene live creature research collaborator biological life work new way well-crafted film ambitious attempt female hybrid sarah polley
