13 March 2023

Meet Eske Willerslev at world premiere of new documentary 'Remains'

Documentary

Join Eske Willerslev on a research tour of the US where 10,000-year-old bones may tell us about the first Americans, but where ethical and personal dilemmas pile up in the Danish professor’s encounters with today’s indigenous peoples.

DNA traces from some 10,000-year-old bones may hold the answers to two of the most debated questions in American history: Who were the first Americans? And how do they relate to today’s indigenous people? Danish professor Eske Willerslev has spent more than 10 years travelling around the US to study the genomic data and what it can tell us about the early humans. A journey in which his encounters with indigenous tribes, who are today fighting to have the remains of their ancestors reburied, forces Willerslev to reconsider his own position and possible biases in his interpretation of the ambiguous data. His objective ideals as a scientist are put to the test in the encounter with the Paiute-Shoshone tribe, where the Danish scientist has a terrifying spiritual experience. ‘Remains’ takes us along for the ride and deep into all the ethical and personal dilemmas involved in researching the history of others.

After the premiere, meet DNA researcher and Adventurer's Club member Eske Willerslev in conversation with the film's director Linus Mørk about the victories and defeats that have shaped Eske's career as one of the world's most renowned geneticists. What wounds from the past do you risk digging into when you try to map the origins of human genera through DNA research? The discussion will be moderated by film director Pernille Rose Grønkjær ('Genetic Me', 2014). NB. This event will be in Danish.

REMAINS

Linus Mørk / Denmark / 2023 / 82 min / World Premiere

The premiere takes place on March 19, at 19:30hs, Bremen Theater, Copenhagen.
Buy your ticket here