about the story...

Synopsis:

Extropy is the story of an ambitious medical researcher named Philip Zephyr who discovers the secret to human aging- and a way to stop it….

Phil is a lowly researcher at a state college who has big dreams. Phil watches his father Frank succumb to old age and Alzheimer's and his family struggle to survive on humble means. His goal is to create the perfect life for himself and his family. As an obsessed workaholic, he neglects his relationships with his wife Kate and friend and co-worker Cedric. He is desperate for a breakthrough.

So when he discovers the biological mechanism that controls longevity, he is quick to find a way to exploit it. Impatient and aggressive, Phil takes his radical new anti-aging therapy underground with the help of funding from an eccentric businessman named Stephen Roissi.

When Phil reveals to his friends and family that he has been testing his therapy on himself for the past several years, his world turns upside down. Kate and Cedric are adamant against this risky venture but Phil is insistent. Spurred on by the tragic death of his father, he and Roissi secretly push ahead with their experiments on a potentially dangerous new drug.

Years later, we learn the impact of the drug's grim side effects and discover that Phil's hopeful vision for the future has become his worst nightmare.

Director's Notes:

What is this film about?

Extropy is about a man whose ambition overpowers his sense of right and wrong. Philip Zephyr, the main character of Extropy, is a man who wants to have it all. As a result, he does all the wrong things for the right reasons. He wants to protect himself and his loved ones from suffering by exploiting an amazing discovery. His good intentions are clouded and ultimately destroyed by his own selfishness and impatience (his desire for wealth, fame, and youth). These are classic themes that run rampant throughout all art forms.

So what makes Extropy fresh and worthwhile?

The film takes place in our modern world at the intersection of science, technology, ethics, politics, and morality where the rules and boundaries have yet to be fully determined. The advances being made today in science and technology are the last true frontier of discovery. The film attempts to raise moral and ethical questions about the value and impact of those discoveries. The film addresses the gray area that exists on this frontier where the lines begin to blur between science, politics, religion, and philosophy as each new discovery reveals a greater complexity.

Why this film?

I feel it is our responsibility to know as much as we can about ourselves and the world around us, especially as knowledge and information evolve at exponential speeds. Good films often engage us on a psychological level but very few films attempt to do this on a biological level. My goal is to make a film that addresses both aspects of our personhood. The science of our bodies affects every choice we make and yet our understanding of how it works is so limited. I hope this film will inspire its audience to cultivate a more profound understanding of themselves, the world and the forces that drive it

top - home