The Virus Within
A film by Kurt Langbein and Florian Höllerl
TV documentary -
completed

They are many. They are everywhere. And they're not killers: viruses. These artists of survival, as old as life itself, are the engine of evolution - including that of humans. "Viruses are the rulers of the world, they show us where to go." - This is how the renowned virologist Karin Mölling describes viruses in the film. The documentary undertakes a fascinating journey into the virosphere: marine biologists show the role of viruses as protectors of coral reefs of the world's oceans, and researchers have only recently discovered the importance of viral colonization in our intestinal system. Viruses have cured people from severe bacterial infections in Georgia for over a hundred years.

 

And that's not all - viruses may have been at the beginning of all life and around 50 percent of our genome. Human attributes such as long-term memory or embryonic pregnancies come from viruses.

 

But they can also become dangerous if we destroy nature and biodiversity. This is shown by pandemics such as AIDS, Ebola and Covid-19. The decisive factor is a balance between the world of viruses and that of humans. Therefore, concepts are being developed around the world under the heading “One Health” in order to ensure health for everyone - people, animals, and plants.

Direction & Production: Kurt Langbein und Florian Höllerl | Camera: Christian Roth, Roman Bagner | Sound: Armin Koch | Production Management: Susanne Berger | Production Assistent: Jennifer Becker | Editor: Alexandra Wedenig | Assistant Editor: Julia Eder

TV Documentary | Austria | 2021 | Series: Themenmontag
52 minutes | HD
A coproduction by Langbein & Partner in cooperation with ORF, BR und BR/arte
Supported by the Austrian Television Fund, Filmfonds Wien, VAM