Out on a Limb

Hugh Herr was a 17-year-old mountain climber when he and a friend got lost in a blizzard on Mount Washington. Suffering from severe frostbite, Herr had to have both of his legs amputated. From his hospital room, he was initially shocked at the primitive prosthetic limbs he was given. Soon, shock gave way to a fierce determination to make a difference in the lives of others. Augmented follows Herr’s dramatic lifelong quest to become a scientist at MIT and an expert in the area of prosthetics. His pathbreaking success in the field of prosthetics leads to a major scientific breakthrough and a radical new way of performing amputations that will allow bionic limbs to move and feel like the real thing.

From remote lands and welcoming cultures, from immigration to innovation—we give you nothing but the facts in this program of DocLands short films! After a near-death experience, an Icelandic photographer and former kayaker discovers a newfound passion for surfing and a new perspective worth living for with the birth of his daughter in Chris Burkard’s Unnúr (US 2019, 16 min). Set in one of the most remote and inaccessible volcanic island chains in the world, a scrappy Russian marine biologist encounters sea lion chaos, joyous raptures, and ultimately a greater hope for the earth in Taylor Rees’ From Kurils with Love (US 2020, 24 min).