The Vanishing Point

The Vanishing Point is a documentary series about the impact of funding cuts to the institution of American science. The first episode of this series will premiere theatrically at New York's IFC Center as part of Short Attention Span Cinema, which has also featured the New York Times Op-Docs and The Moth Radio Hour, starting April 24. 

​

The episode "NASA v. DOGE" will also be available to watch on Crafty Short Films starting April 16. 

​

When my sister was diagnosed with brain cancer in June of 2024, our family clung to the promise of science. As her disease progressed, she entered a clinical trial for a novel treatment that was made possible by decades of publicly funded research. But after living with cancer for ten months, she died.

 

At the same time, I watched in disbelief as the Trump administration withdrew billions in NIH funding, including funding for cancer trials. Active grants for clinical research were cancelled, stranding 70,000 patients. Brain cancer research was especially hard hit when the end of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium was handed down from NIH leadership, with little explanation given. 

​

This news became the starting point for my investigation into how these cuts are unraveling the country’s scientific infrastructure. I hope to raise the alarm so that we can come together to protect the vital research environment that has made America a scientific leader for decades.