Young biologists from the University of Southern California have overturned conventional wisdom and used molecular biology to demonstrate the powerful effects of fasting. This research suggests a wide-ranging potential, which could include treatments for the disease of the century, cancer. If these scientists are right, maybe our approach to disease and treatment will need a rethink.

"Captain Fantastic" follows the unconventional life of Ben and Leslie Cash, who have chosen to live off the grid with their six children in the mountains of Washington state. Embracing socialist and survivalist ideals, Ben imparts rigorous physical training and critical thinking skills to his children, who are non-registered homeschooled and possess self-sufficiency in hunting, foraging, and growing food. This lifestyle is not only a rejection of mainstream society, which Ben views as fascist, but also a response to Leslie's bipolar disorder, diagnosed after postpartum depression with their first child.

​Leslie's deteriorating mental health leads to her hospitalization and subsequent suicide, triggering a clash between Ben and Leslie's father, Jack, who blames Ben for her death. The film explores the clash of ideological and generational differences, as well as the struggle between Ben's alternative lifestyle and Jack's more traditional Christian values. Leslie's last wishes for a Buddhist cremation become a point of contention, challenging the family's unity.

​As the Cash family ventures into commercial America for the funeral, the children, previously sheltered from mainstream society, are exposed to its complexities. Bo, in particular, faces the challenges of transitioning into adulthood and contemplates diverging paths from his father's teachings. The film navigates the poignant complexities of grief, family dynamics, and the clash between counterculture and conventional norms. "Captain Fantastic" serves as an exploration of the human experience and the quest for identity amid societal expectations.

Origins argues that the keys to survival for both the human race and the planet that surrounds us can only be understood by looking back on the origins of our species nearly 200,000 years ago. From the vast plains of Africa to the microbes that live in our gut, Origins illustrates that the forces that compromise our potential to thrive are only outmatched by our capacity to provoke profound and positive change.

The fundamentals of that change can be gleaned from a simple study of our ancestors. The first humans established the evolutionary building blocks that have proven most meaningful to our continued survival as a species. They nurtured a respectful and harmonious connection to nature, developed an uncanny ability to adapt, and constructed the tools needed to ensure that all of their basic needs were met.

In the face of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, those basic needs have remained unchanged, yet our modern technologies often imperil the very elements we rely upon to nourish and sustain us. We are more isolated from our natural environment than ever before, and that dynamic has resulted in an unparalleled number of chronic health concerns, a deteriorating planet, and increasingly severe obstacles for our children and grandchildren.

The purity of our existence has been threatened by temporary comforts. Pesticides, hormones and sugars have eradicated much of the nutritional content in the foods we eat, compromising our immune systems and leaving us more vulnerable to disease. Monstrous pollution and toxicity levels represent perhaps the greatest threat to civilization, and their negative effects can be witnessed in forms as varied as the sunscreen we apply to our skin and the air that we breathe into our lungs.

While the challenges facing us might seem insurmountable and complex, the solutions are anything but. Brimming with passionate and persuasive testimony from a distinguished panel of experts in fields ranging from anthropology to medicine, Origins shows us that the power to reverse the tide of destruction is as simple as eating clean foods, rejecting a sedentary lifestyle, and embracing the circle of life in which we all play a part. These revelations make Origins truly inspiring and essential viewing for all audiences who are anxious to make their own change in the world.