Susanna Cappellaro’s documentary My Husband, The Cyborg has you asking numerous questions from start to finish. A unique technology is the original focus of the film, but love and relationships are simultaneously explored to great effect.
★★★★☆
Actress and journalist Susanna Cappellaro filmed her husband Scott for nearly a decade, his technological exploration featuring at the heart of this documentary. In her own words: “At the very beginning, it started because my husband one day came home and told me, ‘I want to be a cyborg’. I said, ‘what’s a cyborg’”.
She continued, “I was out of work, I was a bit depressed, and I thought, maybe I’ll just make a short film.” After discussions with a producer, the idea of a short film developed into a feature-length documentary in which we see Scott trying to become a cyborg, who can sense the magnetic field of the planet.
Cappellaro filming My Husband, The Cyborg herself and being the mouthpiece for the audience provides a unique angle which makes this documentary so successful. Science, whether it be simplistic or complicated, features alongside the evolution of a couple and their relationship. Over the course of eight years or so, their relationship goes through the natural changes of life side-by-side with Scott’s technological journey.
What makes it all the more intriguing is the shift in Susanna’s perceptions. She doesn’t even know what a cyborg is to begin with, so the natural reaction is one of confusion and uncertainty. The more she learns about transhumanism through conversations with various people in the field, the more her understanding grows.
In line with the natural progression of life, both Susanna and Scott display various emotions. The former says in the documentary, “If you let this piece of technology interfere with my interaction with you, I’ll be very angry”. This is perhaps the main conflict of the piece; Scott is on a scientific mission, and while Susanna wants to understand that journey she also wants to retain the strength of their relationship.
The score and some of the editing distract from the story itself at times. The score in particular feels as if it would be more suited to a children’s show or an animation you would watch in a science class, interrupting the flow and the feeling of the documentary. Regarding the editing, various cut scenes and little animations help break up the documentary but they could certainly have been executed better.
Through Cappellaro’s eyes and through her camera, the audience learns a lot about a unique branch of science with a human touch. The simple approach brings a level of authenticity to the table, retaining the intrigue of the subject matter whilst tying in the love that the couple have for each other.
The Verdict
Susanna Cappellaro presents an emotional and human story of life—which is pretty ironic, given her husband’s attempts to become a cyborg are the primary focus. ‘Love conquers all’ may seem fairly cliché, but it applies here in a hugely eye-opening documentary.
Words by Jamie Rooke
My Husband, The Cyborg is available on digital now
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