Anya (2019 film)

Last updated
Anya
Directed byJacob Akira Okada
Carylanna Taylor
Written byCarylanna Taylor
Jacob Akira Okada
Produced byStacey Davis
Jacob Akira Okada
Roger Schwartz
Carylanna Taylor
Starring Ali Ahn
Gil Perez-Abraham
Motell Gyn Foster
CinematographyJacob Akira Okada
Edited byJacob Akira Okada
Carylanna Taylor
Music byJon Irabagon
Production
company
First Encounter Productions
Distributed byGiant Pictures
Release date
  • November 26, 2019 (2019-11-26) [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Anya (stylized as ANYA) is a 2019 science fiction film directed by Jacob Akira Okada and Carylanna Taylor. It features actors Ali Ahn, Gil Perez-Abraham, and Motell Gyn Foster. The film follows a couple struggling with infertility issues as they discover some unique genetic traits related to an immigrant group from the fictional island of Narval. [2]

Contents

Production

Anya revolves around the topics of genetics and anthropology, director Carylanna Taylor has a background as an anthropologist [3] and Harvard researcher Ruth McCole served as scientific consultant. [4] The genetic lab scenes in the film were shot in the real Dr. Andreas Pfenning’s genetics lab at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. [5]

Synopsis

Libby desperately wants a child, but has had trouble conceiving and has suffered multiple miscarriages. Her partner Marco believes that the issues stem from him, as he is convinced that he is suffering from an ancient curse that was placed on all of the people from his island. Nevertheless, he agrees to visit a geneticist with Libby to determine the issue. They are both shocked when they discover that the reason they cannot have children is because Marco's genetics differ to the point where he can be considered a different species. Each would be able to have a baby with their own kind, but together conceiving would be practically impossible.

Cast

Critical reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Anya holds an approval rating of 93% based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. [6] Film Inquiry called it "ambitious" and praised the chemistry between the main characters. [7] Film Frenzy found the film "intriguing" and also noted the performances, but found the score "unnecessary and overbearing". [8] Film Threat said Anya is "a good conversation starter at parties" in relation to its ideas about genetics and humanity but found the story frustrating at times. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Gattaca</i> 1997 film by Andrew Niccol

Gattaca is a 1997 American dystopian science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol in his feature directorial debut. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin appearing in supporting roles. The film presents a future society driven by eugenics where children are conceived through genetic selection to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. The film centers on Vincent Freeman, played by Hawke, who was conceived outside the eugenics program and struggles to overcome genetic discrimination to realize his dream of going into space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic testing</span> Medical test

Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or through biochemical analysis to measure specific protein output. In a medical setting, genetic testing can be used to diagnose or rule out suspected genetic disorders, predict risks for specific conditions, or gain information that can be used to customize medical treatments based on an individual's genetic makeup. Genetic testing can also be used to determine biological relatives, such as a child's biological parentage through DNA paternity testing, or be used to broadly predict an individual's ancestry. Genetic testing of plants and animals can be used for similar reasons as in humans, to gain information used for selective breeding, or for efforts to boost genetic diversity in endangered populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Hamer</span> American geneticist (born 1951)

Dean Hamer is an American geneticist, author, and filmmaker. He is known for his research on the role of genetics in sexual orientation and for a series of popular books and films that have changed scientific and public understandings and perceptions of human sexuality and gender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Saldaña</span> American actress (born 1978)

Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego is an American actress. Known primarily for her work in science fiction film franchises, she has starred in four of the highest-grossing films of all time. Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide and, as of 2024, she is the second highest-grossing film actress. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

<i>Shiroi Kyotō</i> 1965 Japanese novel

Shiroi Kyotō is a 1965 novel by Toyoko Yamasaki. It has been adapted into a film in 1966 and then five times as a television series in 1967, 1978, 1990, 2003, and 2019. The 1966 film was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a Silver Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Laboratory</span> Biomedical research institution

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, non-profit biomedical research institution which was founded by Clarence Cook Little in 1929. It employs over 3,000 employees in Bar Harbor, Maine; Sacramento, California; Farmington, Connecticut; Shanghai, China; and Yokohama, Japan. The institution is a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and has NIH Centers of Excellence in aging and systems genetics. The stated mission of The Jackson Laboratory is "to discover the genetic basis for preventing, treating and curing human diseases, and to enable research and education for the global biomedical community."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary-Claire King</span> American geneticist

Mary-Claire King is an American geneticist. She was the first to show that breast cancer can be inherited due to mutations in the gene she called BRCA1. She studies human genetics and is particularly interested in genetic heterogeneity and complex traits. She studies the interaction of genetics and environmental influences and their effects on human conditions such as breast and ovarian cancer, inherited deafness, schizophrenia, HIV, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. She has been the American Cancer Society Professor of the Department of Genome Sciences and of Medical Genetics in the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington since 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Tree DNA</span> Commercial genetic testing company

FamilyTreeDNA is a division of Gene by Gene, a commercial genetic testing company based in Houston, Texas. FamilyTreeDNA offers analysis of autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA to individuals for genealogical purpose. With a database of more than two million records, it is the most popular company worldwide for Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA, and the fourth most popular for autosomal DNA. In Europe, it is the most common also for autosomal DNA. FamilyTreeDNA as a division of Gene by Gene were acquired by MYDNA, Inc., an Australian company, in January 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Lister-Jones</span> American actress and screenwriter

Zoe Lister-Jones is an American actress and filmmaker who co-starred as Jen Collins Short in the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces from 2015 to 2019. She is also known for her roles in the television shows Delocated (2009–2010), Whitney (2011–2013), and New Girl (2015). Lister-Jones made her directorial debut with the 2017 comedy-drama film Band Aid. In 2020, she wrote and directed the horror film The Craft: Legacy. During the Covid-19 pandemic she co-wrote and co-directed the comedy-drama film How It Ends (2021) with Daryl Wein. In 2023 she produced, wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy series Slip for The Roku Channel, with Dakota Johnson as executive producer under her TeaTime Pictures banner. On December 5, 2023, it was announced that Slip was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified insect</span> Insect that has been genetically modified

A genetically modified (GM) insect is an insect that has been genetically modified, either through mutagenesis, or more precise processes of transgenesis, or cisgenesis. Motivations for using GM insects include biological research purposes and genetic pest management. Genetic pest management capitalizes on recent advances in biotechnology and the growing repertoire of sequenced genomes in order to control pest populations, including insects. Insect genomes can be found in genetic databases such as NCBI, and databases more specific to insects such as FlyBase, VectorBase, and BeetleBase. There is an ongoing initiative started in 2011 to sequence the genomes of 5,000 insects and other arthropods called the i5k. Some Lepidoptera have been genetically modified in nature by the wasp bracovirus.

Michael D. Purugganan is a Filipino-American biologist and former journalist. He is the Silver Professor of Biology and the former Dean of Science of New York University (NYU). Purugganan is also an affiliated faculty member of NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and the NYU Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), and since 2022, has been the director of 19 Washington Square North, the academic space of NYUAD in New York City. He was the former director of the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology in New York (2010-2012) and Abu Dhabi (2012-2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Publishing Resource Center</span> Resource centre

The Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) is a resource center based in Portland, Oregon that provides access to tools for the creation of books, prints, posters, zines, and comics. The studios include a computer lab and general workspace, screen printing, letterpress printing, risograph printing, and a zine library. The center was founded in 1998 by Chloe Eudaly, owner of Reading Frenzy and Show & Tell Press, and Rebecca Gilbert, worker-owner at Stumptown Printers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Shapiro</span> American developmental biologist

Lucy Shapiro is an American developmental biologist. She is a professor of Developmental Biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Research and the director of the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Ostrander</span> American geneticist

Elaine Ann Ostrander is an American geneticist at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. She holds a number of professional academic appointments, currently serving as Distinguished and Senior Investigator and head of the NHGRI Section of Comparative Genomics; and Chief of the Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch. She is known for her research on prostate cancer susceptibility in humans and for conducting genetic investigations with the Canis familiaris —the domestic dog— model, which she has used to study disease susceptibility and frequency and other aspects of natural variation across mammals. In 2007, her laboratory showed that much of the variation in body size of domestic dogs is due to sequence changes in a single gene encoding a growth-promoting protein.

Charis Eng is a Singapore-born physician-scientist and geneticist at the Cleveland Clinic, notable for identifying the PTEN gene. She is the Chairwoman and founding Director of the Genomic Medicine Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, founding Director and attending clinical cancer geneticist of the institute’s clinical component, the Center for Personalized Genetic Healthcare, and Professor and Vice Chairwoman of the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Monument Lab is a public art project based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Created by curators Paul Farber and Ken Lum and Director of Research Laurie Allen, the project is notable for producing a number of works of public art around the city of Philadelphia, often in collaboration with other organizations. In 2020, Mellon Foundation awarded Monument lab a three-year, $4 million grant to aid the Lab's mission.

Libby Liggins is an evolutionary ecologist and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Natural and Computational Science at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand, as well as a research associate at Auckland Museum. Her research uses genetic and genomic data to explore the biogeography, population ecology, and biodiversity of marine organisms.

Kiran Musunuru is an American cardiologist who is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He researches the genetics and genomics of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Musunuru is a leading expert in the field of gene-editing.

Elizabeth Patton, Ph.D FRSE is professor of chemical genetics and group leader of Medical Research Council Institute for Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, Personal Chair of Melanoma Genetics and Drug Discovery for a disease which kills 20,000 Europeans a year, and accounts for 80% of all skin cancer deaths. Her research into the genetic models and drug interactions testing, sharing international findings, is mainly using zebrafish in conjunction with the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre. She holds a number of academic leadership roles in UK, Europe and international scientific bodies.

Oni: Thunder God's Tale is an animated fantasy television limited series created by Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi for Netflix. Based on "Onari's Lullaby" by Emi Tsutsumi, and inspired by various Japanese folklore, the series tells a story of Onari, who sets on a path of becoming one of the folklore heroes, protecting her peaceful village from the mysterious oni. Produced by Tonko House and animated by Megalis VFX and Dwarf Studios, the series premiered on October 21, 2022.

References

  1. Crombie, Zoe (November 29, 2019). "ANYA: An Ambitious Yet Low-Key Indie Sci-Fi". Film Inquiry.
  2. Amsen, Eva (2019-05-31). "Science and Diversity In Film: Behind The Scenes Of ANYA". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  3. Dixon, Jim (2019-12-19). "Jacob Akira Okada & Carlyanna Taylor Discuss The Future Of Families & ANYA". Film Inquiry. Archived from the original on 2019-12-18. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  4. Bernadskaya, Yelena (2019-03-14). "Interview with creators of 'ANYA,' a genetic mystery movie". AIPT. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  5. "Carnegie Mellon's Dr. Andreas Pfenning's Computational Bio Lab becomes "DR. SEYMOUR LIVINSTON'S" Evolutionary Genetics Lab". ANYA. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  6. "ANYA". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  7. Crombie, Zoe (2019-11-29). "ANYA: An Ambitious Yet Low-Key Indie Sci-Fi". Film Inquiry. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  8. "Anya: An Intriguing Indie". FILM FRENZY. 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  9. "Anya | Film Threat". 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2021-06-29.