Where does genius come from? Is it the by-product of tireless work, an accidental development, or divine inspiration? The documentary Superman: The Genius explores this phenomenon by charting the lives and achievements of five people whose sense of spiritual superiority has become second nature.
The film opens with Akiane Kramarik, a 13-year-old girl from Idaho who has been drawing with masterful detail and technique since she was four years old. Although her family was completely non-religious, she interpreted her passion for painting as a true calling from God. In just nine years, she achieved astonishing success with a collection of more than 100 original drawings and published multiple volumes. Her artistic intuition is guided by a force she herself does not fully understand.
Ben Pridmore first appeared rummaging through the grocery aisles for product serial numbers, then reciting them to the cashier with perfect memory. His memorization of long and complex number sequences wowed audiences and earned him three World Championship awards. However, his accomplishments did not translate into financial success, and he remained an unemployed accountant.
The 1988 film Rain Man is perhaps the most popular reference in pop culture to the enigmatic nature of genius. Superman: The Genius traveled to Utah to meet Kim Peake (now deceased), who was the true inspiration for the Oscar-winning film. Diagnosed with savant syndrome at a young age and told he would never be able to walk, communicate or learn, King is known to have the sharpest memory in recorded history, almost 98% of everything, absorbing what he is read.
The film also follows 10-year-old Israeli pianist and composer Ariel Ranyi, who was raised on classical music, and Ainan Kawley, a science prodigy who passed the chemistry O-level exam.
Each of their stories is certainly awe-inspiring, but they also raise some puzzling questions about the human condition. Are genius abilities just untapped potential in all of us?
