What influences or determines our sense of who we are? What makes one person distinct from another? How does science inform human identity? Read on to explore the topic of identity further.

Mental health - 'Animated Minds'
Experiencing a mental illness can have a major impact on a person's sense of identity and on the way others see them. 'Animated Minds' is a series of short animated documentaries that use real testimony from people who have experienced different forms of mental distress. A single aim underpins all the films: to help dispel myths and misconceptions about mental illness by giving a voice to those who experience these various difficulties first hand.

Memory - 'Ex-memoria'
Our sense of identity is intricately bound to our memory, but what happens when memories begin to fade? 'Ex Memoria' is a short fiction film (15 minutes) that attempts to capture some of the experiences of a woman with dementia who is living in a care home.

The film focuses on the central character - Eva - a woman in her late 70s who is Jewish and was born in Poland, and her interactions with staff, other residents and visitors. The writer/director is Josh Appignanesi and the producer is Mia Bays. Part of the project was to develop materials on the theme of dementia to go with the film. Find out more

Genetics and genomics - 'Big Picture'
In recent years, mind-boggling progress has been made in genome sequencing and understanding the huge amount of data such an activity produces. Our genes play a key part in making us who we are, but how can science help us understand our genetic identity? 'Big Picture: Genes, Genomes and Health' looks at this fascinating topic and provides links to even more identity-related resources.
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Appearance - 'Big Picture'
When we see people, we recognise individuals, we make judgements about them, we draw conclusions about their age, their sex, their personality, their mood and their intentions. And, deliberately or not, we send signals to others - through our expressions, the way we dress and the way we modify our bodies. 'Big Picture on How We Look' looks at this remarkable interplay - between the biology that sculpts our form and the culture that interprets, embellishes and adapts this form. It asks what we mean by 'normal', what beauty is and how such concepts influence the way we live. It looks at why we take the form we do and considers what we might look like in the future.
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