— For Home Use Only —

The concept of a "gene" — which came about during the Gilded Age — conveniently supported the notion that biology was destiny and that creating policies to directly address social issues was a waste of time. Those problems were said to be inherent in individuals of certain classes, genders, and racial groups.

The idea that people living in poverty are genetically different from wealthy people, or that men are naturally more intelligent than women, may seem laughable, but it's an argument regularly used as a social weapon to stall the advancement of equality and maintain the status quo. Claims about discoveries of genes for intelligence, poverty, and crime offer pseudo-scientific explanations for rising rates of inequality and racial discrimination.

IN THE NAME OF THE GENE explores these themes through interviews woven together with archival moving images, news clips, contemporary graphic elements, and original animation. The film warns that failing to question these ideas can aid attempts to roll back progressive policies that address inequality and discrimination, opening the door to a resurgence of eugenics in public and political conscience.

This one hour film is a condensed version of the longer documentary A DANGEROUS IDEA: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream.

Presented by Bullfrog Films
Directed by Stephanie Welch
Produced by Stephanie Welch, Andrew Kimbrell, N. Jed Riffe
Executive Producer: Mary R. Morgan
Written by: Stephanie Welch, Andrew Kimbrell
Creative Director, Associate Producer: Ann Skinner-Jones
Consulting Producer: Bertram Verhaag
Editors: Maureen Gosling, Sara Maamouri, Stephanie Welch
Composer: Jonathan Zalben
Additional Music: Paul Brill, Jon Herbst
Narrator: Neil Harvey

Educational Use: https://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/itnog.html
Academic Streaming: https://docuseek2.com/bf-itnog
Community Screenings: https://www.bullfrogcommunities.com/itnog_order_form