Seeds — often taken for granted, yet vital to the very existence of humankind. Many feel these gifts of nature are in grave danger, a subject explored in a new documentary, “Seed: The Untold Story.” Starkville Real Food (SRF), a public group encouraging support of local, wholesome food sources, wants to bring the film to the Golden Triangle. To do that, they must pre-sell a minimum of 72 tickets by Jan. 27. As of Thursday, the group was about halfway to the goal. Tickets are $11, available at gathr.us/screening/19120. The documentary would be screened at the Malco Theater in Columbus Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
“We’ve already sold about half the tickets, which is great and ahead of schedule,” says Lindsay Wilson, SRF founder. “We’re really looking forward to it and expect a hearty crowd.”
The full-length documentary featuring Vandana Shiva, Dr. Jane Goodall, Andrew Kimbell and Winona LaDuke follows passionate seed-keepers protecting the earth’s 12,000-year-old food legacy. It contains as much humor as seriousness, Wilson says.
The Los Angeles Times calls it “a gorgeously made film, put together with as much care as its subjects devote to saving the remaining varieties of seeds.”
Hollywood Report Card says, “A beautiful piece of art, careful, deeply colored and poetic.”
“Seed” has already garnered festival awards including the Grand Jury Prize in Nashville, Best in Festival at Princeton, the EcoHero Award in Portland and Audience Award at San Diego, and more.
The genesis of the documentary began with an article in National Geographic reporting that up to 96 percent of the vegetable seeds available in 1903 have disappeared. “Within moments we knew that was our next film,” say directors Jon Betz and Taggart Siegel in the directors’ statement at seedthemovie.com. The film charts a “David and Goliath battle” as seed savers face large corporate chemical companies that control much of the seed supply, they say.
Naturalist and author Gary Paul Nabhan adds, “‘Seed’ explores a topic that is still largely unknown, yet it is increasingly urgent with climate change and the consolidation and control of the seed industry.”
Marion Sansing is the current SRF chapter leader.
“We don’t have too many opportunities in our area for movies like this,” she says. “We encourage people to purchase a ticket and help bring this opportunity to educate ourselves on such an important subject.”
Seed companies have already donated free seed packets and catalogs for those attending the film, Wilson says.
For more about SRF, visit facebook.com/groups/StarkvilleRealFood/. Watch the film trailer at seedthemovie.com.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.