Oliver Sacks: His Own Life

Oliver Sacks’ life contained more drama than a Dickens novel. His childhood unfolded during the destruction of World War II, he was hounded by a powerfully overbearing mother and his brother suffered from severe mental illness. But rather than be ruined, Sacks channeled his demons into projects that shined light on the human condition. Perhaps our culture’s most beloved popular scientist, Sacks studied and documented those whose neurological peculiarities - sleeping sickness, Tourette’s, autism - revealed much about our own fickle brains. Ric Burns’ brisk and loving introduction is filled with biographical surprises and rich context, showing how the best-selling researcher of our time taught us the gifts of tolerance, curiosity and a deep appreciation for the mysteries of consciousness. As Robert Krulwich says: “People who are lonely and left out … are storied back into the world.” (Telluride Film Festival)