• Be sure to download the FREE  Study Guide for the documentary!

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Sliding Scale Option – choose your own price

Here is how:

1. Choose your own price, from 1¢ to $100,  and pay that amount via this link, paypal.me/MyLoveAffair
2. ALSO you must  tell us WHERE to send your link to stream the film. Either use this form or email us directly: brain@lunaproductions.com.

Our goal:  lack of $ should never prevent you from viewing this documentary.  We are especially supportive of students, teachers, and home school parents – even more so now during a pandemic.  So we offer a sliding scale so you decide what works for you.  Some of you will choose to be a $100 supporter.  Thank you!   Your generosity allows us to provide it for less for others.  If 1¢ is too much, just email us directly.  The paypal form doesn’t work at the zero amount price.

We do rely on our films to earn our own living, so please be as generous with us just as we try to be with you.    Thank you, whatever you decide.

SUBJECT AREAS: Anatomy, Biology, Childhood and Early childhood development, Education, Gerontology, Health, History of Science, Neuroscience, Physiology, Science, Teacher training and professional development, Womens/Gender Studies.

My Love Affair with the Brain:
The Life and Science of Dr. Marian Diamond

Testimonials

“A brilliant, buoyant, enlightening and beautiful film that achieves just the right balance between the ‘personal’ and the ‘scientific.’
JOYCE CAROL OATES, Author, Professor, Princeton

“Marian Diamond has made two major contributions to Neural Science that have stood the test of time.  First, she has documented the dramatic consequences on brain development of an impoverished environment compared to an enriched one.  Second, she has developed a new way of teaching students about the anatomy of the brain that is both highly original and very exciting.  Bravo!”
ERIC R. KANDEL M.D.  Nobel Prize Recipient, Professor, Columbia University

… should be required viewing for all students and professionals in gerontology, geriatrics, and adult development and aging.   It offers an intimate introduction to Dr. Marian Diamond, one of the most important contributors to our understanding of the growth potential of the aging brain. The film shares the story of her revolutionary work in the 1960’s that showed that the human brain can continue to develop throughout life….Today’s “New Gerontology” paradigm descends directly from Dr. Diamond’s scientific and instructional efforts to nullify false stereotypes of aging.   The video also displays her long and continuing career as a mentor and inspirational model for new generations of gerontologists. The film has high relevance for students of science in general, especially those interested in scientific revolutions.
RICK J. SCHEIDT, College of Human Ecology, Kansas State University

“… a must see for every student, teacher, parent, community member, and higher education teacher prep program!”
PEGGY BROOKINS, President and CEO, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

“Science has a soul, an intangible passion of the human spirit driven by wonder and delight in discovery of nature’s beauty and intricate mysteries.  My Love Affair with the Brain reveals the soul of science through the remarkable life of Marian Diamond.  Her passion to explore the brain, her keen insights into how it responds to our experiences, and her drive to share her enchantment and discoveries with a new generation shines in this inspirational documentary.”
R. DOUGLAS FIELDS, Neuroscientist and Author of The Other Brain, and Why We Snap

“Marian Diamond is a true trailblazer.  As a neuroscientist and anatomist, she helped revolutionize our understanding of brain function, particularly with regard to neural plasticity. Her pioneering work continues to drive new discoveries in healthcare and education. The entire field of Neural Rehabilitation owes her a debt of gratitude for providing early evidence that with the right type of stimulation, we can indeed change the brain.  As a result, we have completely changed how we treat individuals with stroke and other neurological problems.
Over decades, Marian persevered and maintained a positive outlook in the face of adversity, especially when it came to the male-dominated scientific culture of the time. This film is not only an important archive of the history of Marian Diamond’s ground-breaking work during a time when very few women could be found in the upper echelons of science, but it also is a reminder of how one person can have a profound effect on enhancing knowledge and the quality of life across the globe. Her life serves as an inspiration to millions and likely will continue to do so for years to come.”
ALISON L. MCKENZIE, Crean College of Health and Behavioral Science, Chapman University

“Not only a wonderful film about an amazing scientist but also about an extraordinary teacher.  As a teacher trainer in the Department of Applied Linguistics at UCLA for over twenty years, I strongly urge college/university teacher training programs across the country to use this film as an example of effective classroom instruction for future secondary and post-secondary teachers. ”
LINDA JENSEN DARLING, University lecturer,  UCLA / UC Berkeley

“Any library would be well served to have this in their collection.  The UC Berkeley Bioscience and Natural Resources library was proud to participate in the premier of “My Love Affair with the Brain”.  She is renowned for her biology courses and ever present hatbox, brain included.  The Library collections include her oral history, her papers, and many of her publications.”
SUSAN KOSKINEN, Head, Life & Health Sciences Library Division, University of California, Berkeley

“A must see movie for anyone with a curiosity about the brain and the history of brain science. It follows the world famous Dr. Marian Diamond as she discovers that we can change and grow our brain circuits at any age.”
LOUANN BRIZENDINE  MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Lynne and Marc Benioff Endowed Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco

“… a thrilling and inspiring film about one of the great teachers and pioneers of neuroscience, Marian Diamond, who taught at Berkeley well into her 80’s. The film shows how she was such an incomparable teacher and mentor to generations of students and how she was among the first to demonstrate the incredible plasticity of brain; the film follows her as she applies these ideas in the real world.”
CHARLES G. GROSS, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute

“Marian had the inner strength to not only find a career path for herself despite a pretty misogynistic culture, but also had the ability to become the role model that so many women needed, and still need. I’ll never forget her warmth and welcome when I was hired onto the Berkeley faculty. Marian is a scientist, a woman, a mother, a friend, a wife, and so much more because she is comfortable in all of those identities. She taught me by example that it is not only ok to wear pink in the lab, but to do so with pride. This film perfectly captures Marian. I am so happy that Luna Productions is able to bring Marian’s inspiration to such a wide audience.”
LESLEA J. HLUSKO Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

“This film, like Marian Diamond herself, is an inspiration.  It is a loving tribute to a mentor and researcher who, through her academic curiosity and intellectual generosity, has opened the doors of neuroscience to millions of individuals around the world.  In the words of Cajal, it will infuse every neuron of your brain with “noble and lofty inquietudes.”
BOB JACOBS, Professor of Neuroscience, Colorado College

“Working successfully in science is in some part about finding the questions that awaken your passions for discovery and truth.  As this wonderful documentary attests, it is also about how you work with others to ask the question in a way that is answerable, and thence to the stepwise approach to seeking the validity of the answers you have supposed to be attainable.  Dr. Diamond was a brilliant scientist because she mastered both of these challenges, and even better, was able to communicate and educate about her love of the creative act and the rigorous personal and team-building discipline she lived as a neuroscientist.  As this documentary shows, Marian was a wonderful person because in the face of the sexism of the mid-20th century science community, she persevered in her ability to share her love of science.  But also she created beautiful children, a lasting bond with her wonderful husband, and, in her love of others, succeeded in so many admirable ways in her work and life.”
NORMAN KACHUCK, MD, Neurologist, Keck Medical Center of USC, (retired)

“Marian Diamond is to the brain like Julia Childs is to French cooking.  Celebrated, beloved, one of the most popular teachers in the world brings you her passion about the brain.  The film is a personal story about the thrill of discovery and drive of curiosity.  A brain owners manual…”
MARILYN BANCEL, Exploratorium Science Museum, Director of Development, (retired)

“This movie is fantastic and tells one of the most inspiring stories in modern neuroscience. It presents such a good message of a women in a man’s field plowing her own way. I would love for all kids to watch it … so inspiring, so moving story, and what a fabulous way to tell it!! ”
DANIELA KAUFER, Associate Professor, Dept of Integrative Biology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley

College Student questionaires:
“This video series was one of the most interesting and entertaining videos I’ve seen. Although I had never thought of the significant founders of anatomy, I had always assumed men were ultimately responsible for the major paradigm changes as with most fields in science. It was encouraging how enthusiastic Marian was about anatomy and inspiring to remind ourselves of the excitement about how amazing science is.”

“Her love was infectious in that this love and passion for the brain are slowly creeping up on me, and I hope to be as intelligent and passionate about anatomy as she is.”

“I was really astonished and amazed by Professor’s Diamonds work, through a lot of hardships and challenges, she really is the forefront in brain plasticity and anatomical sciences. “

“This most interesting thing to me about the videos was Prof. Diamond’s discovery that an enriched environment can increase brain mass and function, because not only was it a scientific breakthrough, it is also remarkably useful information for anyone to know. It helped me see how anatomy could be useful not only for purely medical or surgical purposes, but also to promote wellness.”

“It is crazy to grasp just how much Professor Marian Diamond has accomplished, from the plethora of publications to being the first woman to receive a PhD in anatomy at Berkeley. Her videos are so inspirational and her accomplishments are what inspires me to challenge myself and become more successful.”

“Even given my indirect and very limited exposure to Professor Diamond, through her lecture videos on youtube and the documentary, her powerful and generous spirit have made her a larger-than-life figure in eyes. I am in awe of the legacy she has left on this campus and the lasting impact she has made in all of her students’ lives and the world.”

“I find it uplifting that Professor Diamond was the first woman to attend UC Berkeley’s graduate program for anatomy, seeing as that I am a woman myself. In my opinion I find it pretty awesome that she grew up to not live in fear of a strong man.”

“This video really opened my eyes to that as well as the fact that she was an incredible hopeful, inspirational, and optimistic human being. Watching this video made me want to further my education and learn more about anatomy”

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