BRAIN CODE

WILL WE SOON BE ABLE TO READ MINDS?
A film by Christian Heynen

A person with a spinal cord injury moves a robotic arm using only the power of their thoughts. Another person drives a car in the same way. A completely paralysed ALS patient can communicate with his family once again. What sounds like science fiction has long since become reality. This has been made possible by artificial intelligence and small chips implanted in the brain. Yet this development is still in its infancy: tech pioneers such as Elon Musk argue that we should all use this technology to become one with the digital world. The documentary shows just how far medical progress has come today. And it raises the question of the societal risks: are we heading towards a total surveillance state because, in the near future, it will be possible to read people’s minds?

TEAM

Written and directed by: Christian Heynen // Camera: Michael Kern // Editing: Jan Willm Schmülling // Assistant editor: Mathis Hohmann // Sound design and mixing: Florian Ebrecht // Colour grading: Dany Schelby // Graphics: Christian Bumba // Production coordination: Sandra Wiluda // Production assistant: Julia Keggenhoff // Production manager: Katja Sträter // Producer: Meike Hemschemeier, Frank Nischk // Executive producers: Thomas Weidenbach, Sarah Zierul // Commissioning editor: Ellen Haas, Bianca Charamsa

A production by Längengrad Filmproduktion on behalf of ZDF/3sat.