The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

About The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a movie based on the non-fiction book of the same name by author Rebecca Skloot. Released in 2017, the movie follows the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cells were used without her consent to create the first immortal human cell line. These cells have contributed to numerous important scientific discoveries, from polio vaccines to AIDS treatments.

Making / Production

The film was directed by George C. Wolfe and produced by Alan Ball, with Oprah Winfrey representing Harpo Films. It was adapted for HBO with the screenplay written by Peter Landesman, Alexander Woo, and George C. Wolfe. Shooting took place in Atlanta, Georgia, and Baltimore, Maryland to replicate the story's original locations.

Actors

• Oprah Winfrey as Deborah Lacks: She masterfully portrays a woman desperately trying to uncover the truth about her mother's legacy.
• Rose Byrne as Rebecca Skloot: She portrays a resolute and empathetic young journalist who becomes instrumental in Deborah's search for the truth.
• Renée Elise Goldsberry as Henrietta Lacks: She convincingly brings to life the character of a woman whose contributions to science remain largely unacknowledged during her time.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is based on a true story.
• The HeLa cell line, derived from Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer cells, is still used in biomedical research today.
• Oprah Winfrey, who played the role of Deborah Lacks, also served as one of the executive producers.

Quotes

• "People got rich off my mother without us even knowin' about them takin' her cells, that ain't right" - Deborah Lacks.
• "Science took her cells. Her family reclaimed her story" - promotion tagline for the movie.

Music, Soundtrack

• "On the Nature of Daylight" by Max Richter
• "Honky Tonkin'" by Hank Williams
• "Move on Up" by Curtis Mayfield