
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life
September 23, 2020
When you rent via PMA films, you directly support the museum
Oliver Sacks: His Own Life explores the life and work of the legendary neurologist and storyteller, as he shares intimate details of his battles with drug addiction, homophobia, and a medical establishment that accepted his work only decades after the fact.
114 minutes. Not rated. Directed by Ric Burns
A month after receiving a fatal diagnosis in January 2015, Oliver Sacks sat down for a series of filmed interviews in his apartment in New York City. For eighty hours, surrounded by family, friends, and notebooks from six decades of thinking and writing about the brain, he talked about his life and work, his abiding sense of wonder at the natural world, and the place of human beings within it. Drawing on these deeply personal reflections, as well as nearly two dozen interviews with close friends, family members, colleagues and patients, and archival material from every point in his life, this film is the story of a beloved doctor and writer who redefined our understanding of the brain and mind.
Related
-
The Winslow Homer Studio: The Homer Teen Fellow Experience
March 5, 2026
Posted August 6, 2025 At the beginning of our time at the PMA, the Homer High... -
PMA Films: Raoul Peck’s ‘Orwell’ captures the moment, plus a special ‘Last Class’ encore, ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ and more!
October 7, 2025
PMA Films programmer Chris Gray dives into our upcoming screenings for OCTOBER 8–19 Screening Times...

