The Documentary

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Central to the design of the Global Citizens’ Assembly is its ambition to provoke a global conversation about genome editing. Our project teamed up with Genepool Productions—an Emmy-award winning production company—to film this event to capture the excitement, pressures, hard work, and intense discussions over five days. 

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The Global Citizens’ Assembly will be featured in a three-part science documentary series 'Mutant' developed by Genepool Productions in association with December Media about how citizens of the world might weigh in on one of the most consequential and complicated issues of scientific ethics.  Developed with the assistance of Screen Australia.

 

The subject under examination is genome editing technology, including the revolutionary genome editing tool CRISPR.  SBS Australia and ARTE France have come on board as broadcast partners of the documentary series.

 

“SBS are hugely excited by the potential of this new documentary series ‘Mutant’. It promises to be a unique social experiment that explores the intersection of science, ethics, diversity of opinion and how we make the big decisions about our future.”

Joseph Maxwell, Head of Documentaries SBS

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Like Genepool Production’s prizewinning films Vitamania: The Sense and Nonsense of Vitamins and Jabbed: Love, Fear and Vaccines, the documentary on genome editing will be beautifully crafted, illuminating, and deeply moving. Each story will build in the complexity and extend the global audience’s understanding of science and its challenges. Each episode of the documentary provokes a question, a conundrum at its core. What’s okay? What’s not?

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The third and final part of the series will cover the selected jurors and their route to the Global Citizens’ Assembly. Screen time will be spent on assembly deliberations interspersed with blue-chip science shorts looking at who controls the technology and how any guidelines might be implemented.

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“Following global participants on this epic journey will be a privilege – and an adventure. It will be incredibly exciting to witness what people from very different backgrounds think is OK, or not. Will they find common ground? Can they help shape the future of genome editing?”

Sonya Pemberton, Genepool Productions

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The documentary series will have global appeal and will be screened in various outlets including national broadcasters (currently under negotiation). It will present a compelling story of what happens when citizens from different cultures and contexts come together to deliberate on some of the most challenging ethical dilemmas in contemporary times. ‘Mutant’ will be an epic, cinematic and provocative television series capturing an unprecedented international social experiment.

 

“It’s really exciting to be part of this landmark event – where the filmmaking is a key component of the science of democratising one of the most significant issues of our time.”

Tony Wright, December Media

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Genepool Productions

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Based in Melbourne, Australia, Genepool Productions specialises in creating quality science documentaries for international audiences. Sonya Pemberton, 2012 Emmy award winner and record breaking five-time winner of the prestigious Eureka Award for Science Journalism, leads the company.

 

Previous projects include the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning science documentaries Immortal with Professors Elizabeth Blackburn & Carol Greider; Catching Cancer featuring Professors Barry Marshall, Harald zur Hausen; and Ian Frazer. Jabbed – love, fear and vaccines with Sir Gus Nossal, Professors Peter Doherty, Ian Frazer, Ingrid Scheffer; Vaccines - Calling the Shots for PBS NOVA and Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and Uranium - Twisting the Dragon’s Tail for PBS, ARTE and SBS.  Genepool’s latest project Vitamania - The Sense and Nonsense of Vitamins for SBS, CuriosityStream and ARTE France dissects the multi-billion-dollar vitamin industry and  features the work of public health experts such as Professors Walter Willett, Fiona Stanley, and Tim Spector.

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Genepool works in partnership with scientists and broadcasters around the world.

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December Media

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December Media is one of Australia’s most experienced producers of multi-award winning film and TV.

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Based in Melbourne, December Media produce quality drama TV series, children's TV, documentaries and giant screen films for both Australian and International markets. 

International Emmy, BAFTA, New York Television, AFI and Logie Award winners; December Media have also been nominated for a British BAFTA, Scottish BAFTA, several AACTA and SPA Awards, as well as receiving nominations at the National Television Awards in the UK, Sichuan TV Gold Panda Awards and Asian TV Awards among many more.

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With over twenty years’ experience in creating world-class content, the December Media team encompass a wealth of co-production, development, financing and production experience, as well as an extensive network of distribution and financing relationships across the globe.