Origin of the Species explores the contemporary world of android development with a focus on human/machine relations, gender and the ethical implications of this research. The film provides an insider look into cutting-edge laboratories in Japan and the USA where scientists attempt to make robots move, speak and look human. These scientists and their discoveries are contextualised with cinematic and pop culture references to underline the mythic, comic and uncanny aspects of our aspiration to create machines that are eerily similar to ourselves.