FILM REPORT: I Origins (2014)

Dridgely Dy
Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan
PHILO 25 E1B

I Origins (2014)
Director: Mike Cahill

Reported by:
Dridgely Dy

SYNOPSIS
I Origins presents the story of Ian (Michael Pitt), a genetic researcher
who investigates the iris of the eye, which is unique to each human. His lab
partner makes an astonishing discovery: a little girl in India has the same iris
pattern as someone Ian adored. It's a statistical anomaly that makes him
ponder if it's possible that he's been reborn.
After hearing the story of National Geographic's "Afghan Girl," Cahill
was inspired to create this film. Seventeen years after her eerie green eyes
first made the cover, the magazine tracked her down—and used an iris scan
to verify they had the right woman.

Conflict between Science and Religion

For millennia, the battle between science and religion, reality and faith,
has served as a springboard for great literature. Mike Cahill, the writer/director
of "I Origins," is fascinated by the places at which these seemingly opposing
ideas clash or, more interestingly, intersect. Is it possible to be both scientific
and faithful? Can we trust in forces beyond our control while living in a world
obsessed with figuring out how everything works? With "I Origins," Cahill
takes this universal internal battle and turns it into a Puzzle Movie, as one
 science-minded guy encounters something he can't explain with standard
reason. Cahill and his excellent cast are unabashedly eager to explore the
kind of deep intangibles that movies typically ignore or turn into pretentious
rubbish in their supporting characters.

RELIGIOUS VIEWS
I ORIGINS is unmistakably influenced by a pagan philosophy,
particularly Hinduism and reincarnation. Although the protagonist displays
parts of humanism and an evolving worldview, these aspects and ideologies
are ultimately employed to justify spiritualism, supernatural causation, and
religious beliefs. Ian's humane endeavors (such as his studies of the evolution
of the human eye) lead him to paganism in his views on religion and
reincarnation.

I ORIGINS does address God (the intelligent designer and creator),

spirituality, and the supernatural, despite the film's clear portrayal of
paganism. The film explores the purpose of existence, which is found in God,
spirituality, and the supernatural.

Christian Perspective
From a Christian theological standpoint, this backs up the idea that
humans are born with the desire to believe in the supernatural. C.S. Lewis's
words. “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the
only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” Of course,
paganism (Hinduism and reincarnation) distorts this idea in this film, so
viewers should use caution. Christians should be wary of allowing such pagan
notions to skew their Christian convictions. Despite having a strong pagan
perspective, I ORIGINS is a pleasant and fascinating film. The acting,
production, and story structure all contribute to the film's outstanding quality.
Dr. Ian Grey’s Ideology
Ian is fascinated with the human eye, one of the biological features that
distinguishes humans and has been presented as proof of the Supernatural
beings by religions all over the world. We all have unique eye biometrics, and
many cultures have considered the eye as a window to the soul or maybe
even a designer's thumbprint. Studying with coworkers Kenny and Karen,
Grey wants to learn more about the origin of the eye. Then he encounters a
woman whose eyes effectively imprison him emotionally.

From the film, we can see that Ian doesn’t believe in God, since there
are no facts that such divine beings exist; Instead he chose to study the
human eye, because he believes that the human eye is progressively
evolving, meaning if the human eye evolves at this generation, he can
conclude that it would be the same from generations prior to the present. Ian
from the beginning of the movie hasn’t encountered any experience of the
supernatural and the sacred. Ian was born in America, and in America is a
diverse country containing many beliefs and religions, as well as those who
don’t believe in divine beings, in this case it is Ian and his research team.

Religion, of course, is not alone in enshrining human experiences in

traditions and institutions. For instance, any case of social life, vicarious
experiences, and so on. As a result, religious experience takes on a physical
form. Traditions moderate it for those who haven't experienced it. It is
institutionalized for them including for others. Every tradition is a
remembrance of those times in history. This brought the truth of another
universe into the forefront of our everyday lives. Tradition, on the other hand,
does more than mediate religious experience; it also domesticates it. The
psychological function of religious institutions is dependent on this
domestication. Ian, however, experienced the supernatural when Sofi’s eye
reflected on Ian’s child, which led Ian to believe that reincarnation is real;
which was perceived in the film.
Similarities between Hume and Ian
Upon analyzing the film, I believe that Hume and Ian have similar
criticisms regarding religion. Hume stated that “If we take in our hand any
volume—of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance—let us ask, does it
contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity and number [relations of
ideas]? No. Does it contain any experimental [i.e., empirical] reasoning
concerning matters of fact and existence? No. Commit then to the flames: for
it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.” To simplify Hume’s
statement; The only way to properly understand something was to reason
about it. given facts, rather than pure logic, and last but not least, by means of
inspiration, revelation, or blind acts of faith. This was clearly presented on
Ian’s character, because he is a man that based his faith on facts and data.

Sofi’s Ideology
Sofi believes that she and Ian were meant to be with each other. When
she enters the elevator in her previous life as Salomina, she remembers her
prior experiences as Sofi and feels fear and despair. Because time has been
messed up, there is only the now. When Ian meets Sofi, he thinks it's the start
of something (marriage is another sign), but when Sofi dies, he understands
it's already over. But, once again, time is irrelevant; Sofi is experiencing
everything at the same moment. Throughout the film, she appears to be
distant at all times, and you may wonder why she isn't joyful. “Why aren't you
enraged?”. Do you recall that elevator? Except when she freezes in it, Sofi
didn't show any signs of being terrified. She had the feeling that something
terrible would happen as soon as she exited the elevator. Because she had
already experienced it before it occurred.

Sofi is a believer of the spirit world and Ian isn’t. Sofi believes in
reincarnation and has had experiences of the supernatural throughout her life.
Religion can be viewed as a projection of the human mind because It is
expressed through human symbols. This, however, is a unique situation. A
 situation in which a person has to communicate motivates them to do so.
Human life is imbued with metahuman reality. In this case, Sofi’s symbol for
her belief was her necklace, the eye of Horus, an Egyptian symbol for healing
and resurrection.

Cause of Sofi’s Death

I am led to believe that God planned Sofi’s death for a greater or rather
ultimate cause. I previously mentioned that Ian doesn’t believe in divine
beings, so I believe that causing Sofi to die a horrendous death will lead to Ian
to believe in reincarnation, this was evident during the later parts of the film
where Ian’s child have the same eye biometrics to the indian child that Ian
sought to look for.

Sofi’s Explanation of the Spiritual Realm

Her reasoning is that the worm Ian discovered is blind. It has no
concept of light. As a result, it does not believe in light because it has no proof
of its existence. Ian will transform the worm to have basic vision through a
series of chemical reactions. This will cause the worm to experience
sensations it has never experienced before. The ability to see. Sofi explains
that because we are confined to our five senses, people may not have a
sense of the spiritual realm. Her reasoning is well-founded. Like the worm,
who can't see and hence can't comprehend sight. Humans are unable to
perceive spirits and, as a result, are unable to comprehend the realm beyond
life.

Connection between Sofi and the Indian Child

7 years later after Sofi died, Ian and Karen had a child in which their
child has a unique biometrics since the child’s eye wasn’t logged in the
system. So Karen convinces Ian to go to India to look for this girl. He arrives
in India and, with the help of a local contact, Priya, finds a job. Ian, unable to
locate the girl, places a billboard advertisement. He eventually tracks down
the young lady (her name is Salomina). Karen and Ian use photographs to
assess the girl's selections to see if they match Sofi's. This test will determine
if Sofi and Salomina have a genetic memory transfer (at a subconscious
level). It only matches approximately 40% of the time, which isn't a fantastic
match.

He's about to enter an elevator with Salomina on his way out. Salomina
screams and embraces Ian, pleading with him not to let her in. The fact that
Salomina has an unfathomable fear of elevators, the thing that tore Sofi in
half, overwhelms Ian. Ian's silence and the fact that he carries Salomina away
could indicate that he accepts this as a spiritual event that takes precedence
over his scientific beliefs. Ian has come to terms with the fact that Salomina is
a reincarnation of Sofi.