Secrets de longévité

 

The day before the screening, the booking will be closed. Seats will be available at the theatre front desk.

Secrets of longevity

Directed by

Sylvie Gilman -Thierry de Lestrade

Written by

Sylvie Gilman -Thierry de Lestrade

Produced by

© Arte France - Via Découvertes Production

Documentary, France, 2013, 56 min

Doesn't everybody want to live to a ripe old age in good health? For decades, researchers have been trying to decipher the mechanisms of aging and counteract the diseases that occur with age. However, sometimes research takes a short cut... There is a valley in Ecuador where some people seem to be protected from diabetes, cancer, and maybe even Alzheimer's. But these men and women, apparently blessed by the gods have a peculiarity: they are very small – with an average height of barely four feet. Small size and a big mystery: what mechanisms protect them?Could understanding those mechanisms make it possible to protect the rest of the world? This is what scientists today are hoping. From Tel Aviv to Equador to Los Angeles, the film traces the progress of a search that is not only original, but potentially revolutionary for the understanding of diseases such as cancer, and even their treatment and prevention.

Debate with :

• Jean-Marie Robine, Epidemiologist and demographer, research director Inserm (Cermes 3)