The Genius and the Boys (2009)
D Carleton Gajdusek won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of Prions - the particles that would emerge as the cause of Mad Cow disease - while working with a cannibal tribe on New Guinea. He was a star of the scientific world. Over his years working amongst the tribes of the South Seas, he adopted 57 kids, bringing them to a new life in Washington DC. His adoptions were hailed as wonderful fatherly beneficence. But, at the height of his career, rumours began to spread he was a paedophile. Gajdusek would argue that if sex with children was okay in their own cultures, he wasn't wrong to join in. How could a great mind like Gajdusek's lose insight so totally, and why would the scientific community to which he was a hero be so quick to leap to his defence and dismiss the allegations? (Storyville)
Cast
- Michael Alpers - Himself - Professor of Medicine - Expert on Kuru
- Warwick Anderson - Professor in Medical Anthropology
- Sena Anua - Medical Reporter - PNGIMR
- Carleton Gajdusek - Himself - Virologist - Anthropologist - Linguist - Author - etc
- Robert Gajdusek - Brother
- Robert Gallo - Himself - Director, Institute of Human Virology and Co-discoverer HIV
- Oliver Sacks - Himself - Professor of Neurology and Author
- Lovisa Mbagintao - Secretary
- Benoît B. Mandelbrot - Himself - Former Professor of Mathematics - Yale and Princeton (as Benoit Mandelbrot)
Screenplay
Keywords
child abuse, sexual abuse, nobel prize, d. carleton gajdusek, prions
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is The Genius and the Boys about?
- D Carleton Gajdusek won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of Prions - the particles that would emerge as the cause of Mad Cow disease - while working with a cannibal tribe on New Guinea. He was a star of the scientific world. Over his years working amongst the tribes of the South Seas, he adopted 57 kids, bringing them to a new life in Washington DC. His adoptions were hailed as wonderful fatherly beneficence. But, at the height of his career, rumours began to spread he was a paedophile. Gajdusek would argue that if sex with children was okay in their own cultures, he wasn't wrong to join in. How could a great mind like Gajdusek's lose insight so totally, and why would the scientific community to which he was a hero be so quick to leap to his defence and dismiss the allegations? (Storyville)
- Who directed The Genius and the Boys?
- The Genius and the Boys was directed by Bosse Lindquist.
- Who stars in The Genius and the Boys?
- The Genius and the Boys stars Michael Alpers, Warwick Anderson, Sena Anua, Carleton Gajdusek, Robert Gajdusek, Robert Gallo.
- How long is The Genius and the Boys?
- The Genius and the Boys has a runtime of 1h 29m (89 minutes).
- What genre is The Genius and the Boys?
- The Genius and the Boys is a TV Movie, Documentary film.
- Where was The Genius and the Boys produced?
- The Genius and the Boys was produced in Sweden.