Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds
7 p.m., Wednesday, May 21
The Loft Cinema
3222 E. Speedway Blvd.
322-5638;
Do you know where your seeds came from?
While plenty of people pay attention to what they eat, tracking where the food comes from isn't as common an activity. Even less so is learning the origin of the seeds being used to create certain food items.
The seeds responsible for a lot of the food we eat are the subject of a new documentary, Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds, which will be shown at a special screening at the Loft. The event will also feature a Q&A session with local seed experts.
The film and the discussion group are aimed at raising awareness of what's going on in the world of seeds, an industry that is becoming dominated by genetically modified organisms (known as GMOs).
"This is very much a local issue," said director Sean Kaminsky, who was inspired by his grandmother's love of seed collecting to make the documentary. "It's something that's been taken away from the local platform, but it needs to be a local issue."
Kaminsky said the film sides with those who are championing a return to more organic growing. He came to Tucson to film people enrolled in the Seed School, a program created by local nonprofit Native Seeds/SEARCH.
He said groups like Native Seeds/SEARCH are part of a small but growing movement to empower people to take seeds back into their own hands.
The Q&A session will feature several local seed experts, including Native Seeds/SEARCH founders Bill McDorman and Belle Starr, and Jeau Allen and George Bradley of Southwest Seed Exchange.
Tickets are $9.25 for adults; $7.50 for military, students and teachers; $6.25 for seniors and children; and $5.75 for Loft members.
