Seed Stories: Documentary Film Screening and Discussion

In the Niyamgiri mountains of the Eastern Ghats, ecologist Dr. Debal Deb and his team are conserving endangered heirloom varieties of rice. The Eastern Ghats region is one of the world’s remaining biodiversity hotspots, where Indigenous communities like the Kondhs hold traditional knowledge of growing crops with folk seeds that have evolved over centuries. However, this landscape is undergoing irreversible changes with the introduction of genetically modified cotton seeds. ‘Seed Stories’ offers a close-up view of how these changes are reshaping a region and its people, deeply rooted in ecological knowledge, and altering their attitudes towards farming, food, and ecology. It invites audiences to reflect on the question, “What is sustainability?”

Following the screening, Chitrangada Choudhury, Director of ‘Seed Stories’, and Claude Alvares from the Goa Foundation engage in a conversation with Yogita Mehra of Green Essentials.

‘Seed Stories’ (2024). 42 min, in Odiya, Kui, and English
Director & Camera: Chitrangada Choudhury
Associate Director: Aniket Aga
Editor: Ajay TG
Sound: Asheesh Pandya
Colourist: Srikanth Kabothu