What does it mean to be human? What really separates human beings from animals, and who makes that decision? And if that question was asked of you, what would you choose?

PROJECT SOLOMON is the story of a human/chimpanzee genetic hybrid and the clinical psychologist who must decide whether he will live or die. It’s science-fiction that’s grounded in real-world science. Human beings share 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos, and the technology to engineer a hybrid being, a “humanzee,” exists today.

SOLOMON was created in a laboratory and has been held in captivity his entire life. He’s put through various experiments and tests for pharmaceutical research, but one particular experiment pushes him too far. The researchers lose control, Solomon’s instinctive, animal nature emerges in a violent way, and he kills his caretaker, who is also his only true friend.

When a human is found guilty of manslaughter in the state of New York, they are sentenced with up to twenty-five years in prison. However, if a captive animal kills a person, it is put down. So when it comes to a being like Solomon, who is both animal and human, the question becomes - what do we do with him now?

That question falls to DOCTOR SHARMA, who is the clinical psychologist appointed by the court to psychoanalyze Solomon, evaluate his mind in search of “human consciousness,” and ultimately decide his fate. But her journey into Solomon’s psyche may take her deeper than she had imagined, and even into her own sense of self-identity.

With the recent meteoric rise of gene-editing tools like CRISPR, and the dividing line between human and animal becoming more blurred and tenuous with each new scientific discovery, the questions that PROJECT SOLOMON seeks to raise may demand a real answer in the very near future. So ask yourself: What does it mean to be human?

HUSSEIN SMKO

SOLOMON

A self-trained dancer and choreographer from the Kurdish region of Iraq, Hussein’s journey with dance began at age nine during his fourth war experience, when he saw Hip Hop for the first time from an American soldier stationed in the city of Erbil in northern Iraq. From then, he taught himself breakdancing, house, capoeira, acting, singing, and gymnastics. He founded the first Hip Hop group in Kurdistan, and created the contemporary dance group First Step Crew, which performed at the Rawanga Awards in Kurdistan. He then began a residency with Battery Dance in New York City as the first recipient of the Adel Euro Campaign for Dancers Seeking Refuge in January of 2017. Hussein has taught master classes in Kurdistan, New York City, Fort Wayne Indiana, and Los Angeles through Battery Dance Company. Most recently he has performed his own choreographies at Studio 525’s One Journey Festival in Washington DC and premiered his first choreographic work "Antoinette" for Project TAG at the Battery Dance Festival as one of the opening and closing performances. He is currently performing Project TAG's work at the La Guardia Performing Arts Center and the Brick Theater. Hussein’s work explores the intersection of war, politics, and religion, where he finds his way to his own spirituality. 

MICHAEL WOOLDRIDGE

DIRECTOR

Michael is a New York City based writer, editor and filmmaker. Michael’s debut short film, Options, featuring Caissie Levy and Thomas Kopache, was featured on Film shortage, Omeleto, and the Audience Awards. Michael has had the good fortune to build a career working in post-production in the film industry for directors such as Ben Stiller, Jody Hill, Tom McCarthy, and Gideon Raff, and for editors like Tim Squyres, Greg Hayden, and Brian Berdan. Michael loves the collaborative aspects of filmmaking and believes that the best directors build a clear vision of their film, and trust their collaborators to help them execute it.