Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds

This disturbing documentary from filmmaker M. Sean Kaminsky examines the crisis surrounding the corporate patenting of seeds—our most crucial source of food, fuel, and fabric. Despite millennia of dependence on seeds without any proprietary claims on the thousands of extant varieties of plants, vegetables, grains, and fruits (most now vanished), the last century has seen a rise in legal claims by corporate agriculture that a growing number of seeds are covered by patents. Open Sesame details how businesses such as Monsanto tweak the genetic structure of seeds and then insist that their entire DNA—no matter how long those seeds have existed or that they were originally developed by gardeners or small farmers—is company property. The film visits many farmers adversely affected by patent law, whose lawsuits are almost predictably dismissed by courts. On the plus side, representatives of organizations such as SaveSeed.org, Seed Savers Exchange, and Hudson Valley Seed Library talk about efforts to both preserve heirloom seeds that are free of genetic modification and distribute them. But there is still much reason to feel discouraged by the deep pockets of agribusiness and the voracious appetite of corporations in their bid to control our food. Extras include bonus interviews and deleted scenes. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)