The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

2017 · 93 mins · English

#26,073 1

Directed by

George C. Wolfe

Starring

Courtney B. Vance, Oprah Winfrey, Reed Birney, Gabriel Ebert, Rose Byrne, Ninja N. Devoe

In the 1950s, an African-American woman unknowingly contributed to groundbreaking medical research when her cells were taken without her consent. These cells, remarkably, became the first immortal human cell line, known as HeLa. The story explores the scientific impact of this discovery and the ethical questions it raises, while also delving into the Lacks family’s struggle to understand the source of these extraordinary cells and their legacy in medicine.