Trailer for ‘Cyborg: A Documentary’ About a Boy Who Can Hear Color

Trailer for ‘Cyborg: A Documentary’ About a Boy Who Can Hear Color

by Alex Billington
August 16, 2024
Source: YouTube

“We are witnessing the renaissance of our species. It’s not science fiction, it’s already possible.” 🤖 Tull Stories has revealed an official trailer for a documentary film titled Cyborg: A Documentary, the feature directorial debut of producer Carey Born. This first premiered at 2023 CPH:DOX Film Festival last year, and it has been playing on the festival circuit ever since. It most recently showed at the 2024 Phoenix Film Festival, but there’s still no US release yet. Color-blind artist Neil Harbisson is the world’s first formally-recognized cyborg. He has an antenna implanted in his head that allows him to “hear” color. Now Neil is on a mission to convince the world to follow him and adopt his credo: Design Yourself. Carey Born’s engaging documentary follows visual Neil and his collaborator Moon Ribas – communicating their controversial ideas about the technological future of humankind. It’s a fascinating film (read my full review) that is compelling mainly because Neil and his friend Moon are such lively, outgoing, optimistic people. I hope it will get a US release soon, because it’s a very good film to stir up worthwhile conversations about technology & humanity.

Here’s the official UK trailer (+ poster) for Carey Born’s Cyborg: A Documentary, direct from YouTube:

“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.” –Director Carey Born

Colour-blind artist Neil Harbisson wants to convince the world that technological enhancement of our senses is a force for good. From birth only able to see in black & white, Neil yearned from a young age to experience how others feel the emotive power of colour. When he was 21, he decided to have an “eyeborg” antenna permanently implanted in his skull that translates colour waves into sound frequencies with are sent to his brain. Neil’s childhood friend, Moon Ribas, has collaborated with him on his journey. Together they have established the Cyborg Foundation, promoting the creation of new technological senses, and the Transpecies Society, which gives voice to non-human identities & also defends the freedom of self-design. Cyborg: A Documentary is directed by the British producer / filmmaker Carey Born, making her feature directorial debut after producing other films previously. It’s also produced by Carey Bron, and executive produced by Darren Heath. This initially premiered at the 2023 CPH:DOX Film Festival, and it also played at 2024 Phoenix Film Festival. Tull Stories will release Born’s Cyborg: A Documentary film in UK cinemas starting September 20th, 2024 this fall. No US release has been set yet – stay tuned. Curious about this?

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