Series

Seeds: A Film Series

a three-part cinematic meditation

ARCHIVE

Tending the Wild

Wild Relatives by Jumana Manna

Active Cultures and Now Instant present Seeds, a three-part cinematic meditation on new beginnings, hidden power, and pivotal transformation. 

Seeds are more than sources of nourishment. They hold ancestral memory: essential for preserving biodiversity, food sovereignty, and cultural heritage, resisting colonial displacement and destruction. These tiny vessels are also powerful symbols. Moving beyond the botanical, this artist-led film series delves into life’s eternal cycles, the strength of resilience, the wonder of germination, and the quiet wisdom found in dormancy.

The series begins with Jumana Manna’s Wild Relatives (2018), tracing the intricate journey of seed distribution from Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley to the global seed vault in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. The program was followed by a discussion with Nina Raj, founder and steward of Altadena Seed Library, as we talked about seed banking, the importance of biodiversity, and the vital role our community plays in restoring local ecosystems.

The second Seeds film Tending the Wild (2016) shines light on the environmental knowledge of Indigenous peoples across California by exploring how they have actively shaped and tended the land for millennia, in the process developing a deep understanding of plant and animal life. This film was selected by Andrea Jimenez of Herb Club LA. The program will be followed by a discussion with Andrea and Joel Garcia, Director of Meztli Projects. Together, they will discuss the film’s themes in relation to their work with people and plants in the local community, as well as reflections on the past ten years since the film was made.

The third installment in this series is scheduled for Spring 2026.

About Now Instant

Now Instant is a cinema and bookstore in Chinatown, Los Angeles.

Credits

Active Cultures is sustained through the generous support of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture; the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs; the Vera R. Campbell Foundation; the Getty Foundation; the Jerry & Terri Kohl Family Foundation; the Maurice Marciano Family Foundation; the Offield Family Foundation; Teiger Foundation; James Cohan Gallery; Who Wants To Be A Millionaire/ABC; William Grant & Sons; Active Cultures’ Board of Directors; the Members Circle Annual Fund; Green Art Lab Alliance (GALA); and the Los Angeles Visual Arts (LAVA) Coalition.

This series is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.