Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita

2007, 83 minutes

Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita
Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita

Terra Incognita is a feature length documentary film and companion civic engagement campaign featuring the story of Dr. Jack Kessler, the current chair of Northwestern University's Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, and his daughter, Allison, an undergraduate student at Harvard University. When Kessler was invited to head up the Neurology Department at Northwestern, his focus was on using stem cells to help cure diabetes. However, soon after his move to Chicago, Allison -- then age 15, was injured in a skiing accident and paralyzed from the waist down. In the moments following the accident, Dr. Kessler made the decision to change the focus of his research to begin looking for a cure for spinal cord injuries using embryonic stem cells. Through Kessler's story, we bring the stem cell debate to the public for discussion. The film follows the constantly evolving interplay between the promise of new discoveries, the controversy of modern science and the resilience and courage of people living every day with devastating disease and injury.

Visit the PBS Independent Lens web site for the film.

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Recent News

Two Kartemquin Films now 50% off on iTunes

October 6, 2011

Award-winning Kartemquin films Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita and Milking the Rhino are available for purchase from iTunes at 50% off their regular price from now until October 17th! The promotion is part of the PBS Indies sale on iTunes.
 
Mapping Stem Cell Research is available on iTunes here. The Peabody award-winning film puts a human face on stem cell research through the story of Northwestern University professor Dr. Jack Kessler's search for a cure for his paralyzed daughter, Allison.
 

Filmmakers

Director/Producer
Maria Finitzo
Executive Producer
Gordon Quinn
Associate Producer
Justine Nagan

Distinctions

Gracie Award, Outstanding Documentary
AWRT
2010
Council on Foundations Film Festival
2009
Broadcast
Multicanal (Spain)
2009
Best Documentary
Kos International Health Film Festival, Greece
2009
Broadcast
NOGA (Israel)
2008

Press

"This excellent Kartemquin Films documentary is a multifaceted unpacking and demythification of a loaded subject."

—Jonathan Rosenbaum, The Chicago Reader