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 FATHER OF THE CYBORGS

DAVID BURKE

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Neurologist Phil Kennedy made global headlines in the late 90’s by connecting the brain of a paralyzed man to a computer. He was compared to Alexander Graham Bell and became famously known as ‘The Father of the Cyborgs’.  Then in 2014, he shocked the medical and scientific community and his family when he traveled to Belize to implant his own brain in an attempt to continue his research. That brazen act nearly incapacitated him for life. Undeterred, the controversial inventor now wonders if the field he pioneered may lead to unintended consequences in a future where technology and human brains seamlessly combine and create class differences as a result of such extreme cognitive advantages.

FATHER OF THE CYBORGS explores Kennedy’s single-minded and relentless quest to unlock the mystery of speech for locked-in patients, the knotty history of brain-computer interfacing and mind control, and the emerging debate about neuro-ethics and mental privacy. Additional contributors include Rafael Yuste of the BRAIN Initiative, Christof Koch of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, Rajesh Rao of NSF Center for Neurotechnology + more. Directed by David Burke.

With support from Screen Ireland.

 

Recent Press

Featured
The Guardian: "Father of the Cyborgs – the Indiana Jones of neuroscience."
TheJournal.ie: "This Irish documentary is a really fascinating watch."
Independent.ie: "Five stars... It’s fascinating stuff, both the science and the ethics, and it is greatly enhanced by Kennedy’s huge personal charm."
Independent Ireland: "The Irish doctor who is merging the human brain with computers – starting with his own."
Docs Ireland: "Burke’s film makes the highly complicated science, and the people who are still making further advances, accessible to non-medical humans like me."
Rotten Tomatoes: "Father of the Cyborgs 100% Fresh."
Film Festival Today: "Entertaining and Informative from start to finish, Father of The Cyborgs triumphs."
Horror Buzz: "...a fascinating piece."
Film Threat: "We can only hope to have more movies like The Father of the Cyborgs chronicling people like Phil Kennedy."
AIPT Comics: "Father of the Cyborgs is not going to look at an open and shut topic."
Orca Sound: "The fact that he is doing this for the greater good... makes it and Kennedy all the more amazing."
Eye for Film: "It's a piece of still-living history which we should cherish, because in order to do this the right way, we must first imagine."
Shockya: "Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Exclusive: David Burke Video Interview and Clip For Father of the Cyborgs."
Science and Film: "Making its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, the new documentary profiles neuroscientist Dr. Phil Kennedy."
Film Festival Today: "The combination of suspense-filled events and scientific endeavors makes this film a must-see."
Realscreen: "...tells the story of neurologist Phil Kennedy, who made global headlines in the late 1990s by connecting the brain of a paralyzed man to a computer."
Deadline: Cargo Film & Releasing Acquires Sales Rights To Tribeca-Premiering Doc Father of the Cyborgs
Deadline: Father of the Cyborgs World Premiere, Tribeca Film Festival
Realscreen: "Father of the Cyborgs | Realscreen’s 2021 MIPTV Picks."
Realscreen: Father of Cyborgs, meanwhile, tells the story of neurologist Phil Kennedy, who made global headlines in the late 1990s by connecting the brain of a paralyzed man to a computer.
The Irish Times: An extraordinary meditation on ethics and the limits of science.
Screen Daily: "The film premieres at the Dublin International Film Festival before being released in the UK and Ireland by Wildcard Distribution and is likely to attract audiences."
Joe: WATCH: Father of the Cyborgs looks at Irish neuroscientist who experimented on his own brain
The Irish Times: Father of the Cyborgs: The Irish neurologist who hacked his own brain. A new film about Phil Kennedy explores his groundbreaking scientific work.
The Journal IE: "A new Irish documentary looks at the fascinating life and career of an Irishman who has been at the forefront of experiments involving the human brain."
The Irish Times: The new Future Shock strand will give us a chance to see David Burke’s much-talked-about documentary The Father of the Cyborgs.