Summary

code 46 article 1 any human being who shares the same nuclear gene set as another human being is deemed to be genetically identical. the relations of one are the relations of all. due to IVF, DI embryo splitting and cloning techniques it is necessary to prevent any accidental or deliberate genetically incestuous reproduction. therefore: i. all prospective parents should be genetically screened before conception. if they have 100%, 50% or 25% genetic identity they are not permitted to conceive ii. if the pregnancy is unplanned, the foetus must be screened. any pregnancy resulting from 100%, 50% or 25% genetically related parents must be terminated immediately iii. if the parents were ignorant of their genetic relationship then medical intervention is authorized to prevent any further breach of code 46 iv. if the parents knew they were genetically related prior to conception it is a criminal breach of code 46. Code 46 is a love story set in an eerily possible near-future where entry to cities is heavily controlled and they’re accessible only through checkpoints. People cannot travel unless they have “papelles,” a special travel insurance. Outside these cities, the desert has taken over and shanty towns are jammed with non-citizens -- people without papelles whose lives are severely restricted. William (Tim Robbins) is a family man who works as an insurance investigator. When his company sends him to another city to solve a case of fake papelles, he meets a woman named Maria (Samantha Morton). Although he suspects she’s the one creating the forgeries, he falls completely in love with her. He hides her crime and they have a wild, passionate affair that can only last as long as his papelles: 24 hours. Back home, William is obsessed with the memory of Maria. He tries to see her but is refused the necessary papers to travel. Desperate, he uses one of the fake papelles he kept from his investigation. He eventually tracks her down, only to discover she has been accused of a Code 46 violation.