The pandemic movie Hollywood wishes it wrote — except it's real and happening now.
Virologist Dr Chris van Tulleken embarks on a global investigation into the hunt for the pathogen that could trigger the next pandemic and the cutting-edge science developed to tackle it. Known only as ‘Disease X’, it is shrouded in uncertainty. Its origin is unknown, how it could spread is unclear, but its impact could be much more severe than Covid-19. To uncover what Disease X might be, where it could emerge and what traits it needs to spread, Chris follows the paths of past deadly viruses. He visits the ground zero of the Nipah virus in Malaysia, which inspired the film Contagion. He also heads to the front line of the ongoing bird flu outbreak in US dairy cattle in California.
Direction
Emeka Onono balances dread with deliberate, unsensational clarity.
Production
Access to active outbreak zones and high-containment labs feels unprecedented.
Director
Emeka Onono
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Malaysian Nipah outbreak site visit marks the first time that location has been filmed for international documentary since 1999.
Disease X' was officially added to WHO's R&D Blueprint in 2018 — this film captures the first real-world hunt for something literally defined by not existing yet.
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