Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/April 14, 2017 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS ON HBO By Naomi Richard VILLAGER Columnist Because I understand the common thread and the THE IMMORTAL LIFE commonality in the hu- OF HENRIETTA LACKS pre- man experience, if I didn’t miers on HBO April 22nd know that story there’s at at 7pm CT. Oprah Winfrey least a million other and Rose Byrne star in this people who don’t know adaptation of Rebecca the story…. I could best Skloot’s critically ac- bring light to the story by claimed, bestselling non- turning it to film and tell- fiction book of the same ing people who she was… name. The film tells the When George Wolfe got true story of Henrietta involved I was on board… Lacks, an African-Ameri- He said I should definitely can woman whose cells play the role of Deborah.” were used without her THE IMMORTAL LIFE consent to create the first OF HENRIETTA LACKS immortal human cell line. brings a heart touching Told through the eyes story of the breakthrough of her daughter, Deborah in science following the Lacks (Winfrey), the film harvesting of an African- chronicles her search, Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne star in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Photo courtesy of HBO. American woman’s cells along with journalist that would change medi- Rebecca Skloot (Byrne), to cine as it was known and learn about the mother knowledge were used to for future generations. she never knew and to form the HeLa cell line. For the first time in his- understand how the unau- Lacks’ case has sparked le- tory, medical practitio- thorized harvesting of gal and ethical debates ners kept cells alive out- Lacks’ cancerous cells in over the rights of an indi- side of the human body, 1951 led to unprec- vidual to his or her genetic the cells multiplied and edented medical break- material and tissue. the cells could be repli- throughs, changing count- Oprah Winfrey met cated. HeLa cells led re- less lives and the face of with invited media outlets searchers to the cure for medicine forever. to discuss the upcoming polio, the treatment for Henrietta Lacks was special. “In my 8 years of cancer, AIDS, in vitro fer- born on August 1, 1920, in being a member of the tilization and the list goes Roanoke, Virginia. On community, a contributing on. January 29, 1951, Lacks member of the [Balti- George C. Wolfe di- went to Johns Hopkins more] community, I had rects, from the screenplay Hospital to diagnose ab- never heard the name by Peter Landesman, normal pain and bleeding Henrietta Lacks or HeLa Alexander Woo and in her abdomen. Physician cells mentioned. I was as- George C. Wolfe; Oprah Howard Jones quickly di- tounded by my own igno- Winfrey, Alan Ball, Peter agnosed her with cervical rance of that. I was con- Macdissi, Carla Gardini cancer. founded by it because and Lydia Dean Pilcher ex- Lacks died of cervical when I read the book how ecutive produce. A Your cancer on October 4, could I have lived in Balti- Face Goes Here Entertain- 1951, at age 31. Cells taken more all that time and ment, Harpo Films and from her body without her never have heard of her… Cine Mosaic production..