Drama by Ella Road

German by John Birke

Genetics. Already normal in breeding animals and plants. In a near future with people: a simple blood test reveals genetic predispositions, risk of heart attack or stroke as well as the probability of psychic or physical illness. From the test results a ranking on a scale of 1 to 10 is conducted, which has effects on one's entire private and professional life: admission to university study, job chances, credit approval, insurance costs. Even finding a love partner can be difficult - partnerships with fitting hereditary disposition are recommended as optimal - who doesn't want a healthy child with the best prerequisites for life?

The laboratory technician Bea wants to get pregnant, too. She has very stable work at a large hospital working on analysis of the blood tests. She and her boyfriend Aaron have good ranking, but not a lot of money. Then it is determined that her best friend Char has the disposition for an incurable hereditary disease. In her desperation Char asks Bea to fake her blood test in order to at least have a good life until the disease shows up. Bea agrees and, once having crossed the threshold of (il)legality, ends up counterfeiting more blood tests. Because the number which decides their future is worth a lot of money to a lot of people. Soon Bea can afford a large apartment and everything is even lining up for having a healthy baby. But how long can she keep lying to herself and others?

Ella Roads' piece shows us the dangers of a society focused on perfection, in which norming and optimisation are the measure of value. The Laboratory Technician premiered in 2018 and was already up for filming.