Crop-tastic Documentary
Seeds of Change is informative but distracting
Jeanne Fronda Staff
If a comprehensive textbook about genetically modified crops was adapted into a video, then that’s what Seeds of Change would be. The documentary presents the research gathered by University of Manitoba’s Dr. Stéphane McLachlan and PhD student Ian Mauro — addressing how genetically modified crops affect the environment — so it’s only natural the video has a lot of dense information.
So dense, in fact, that it uses a whack-load of text. The movie begins with white text on a black background that explains the focus, which is the influence of “genetically modified crops on farmers and the environment in western Canada.” The text goes on to mention the controversy surrounding the video: it has taken three years for Seeds of Change to be shown to the public.
There’s text that provides definitions, and text that is actually dialogue presented verbatim so that we can read what the interview subjects are saying alongside their talking heads. This is likely to make it easier for viewers who are unfamiliar with agriculture to understand what the subjects are saying, as many of those interviewed are experts in science or agriculture, or are farmers. Ultimately, the text can, well, chafe. (Sorry, that’s the closest word to chaff I could think of.)
So visually, it looks as though whoever chose and animated the text said, “Damn it! I’m gonna wow the world with my knowledge of graphic design effects!” Typewriter effect so that letters appear on the screen one at a time as though they were being typed? Check. Coloured text that shakes? You betcha. Text that scrolls? Of course! Okay, so none of these effects are bad in and of themselves, but there’s so much variety that it gets bothersome for the viewer, who really just wishes the text would get off the screen so more interviews can be presented.
Although many farmers appear in the film, there is also an appearance by researcher Doug Powell and environmentalist David Suzuki. So, the information is very thorough and educational, as the documentary presents both first-hand accounts from farmers and opinions from researchers or experts. (Monsanto Inc., the corporation that has patented genetically modified canola called Roundup Ready Canola, declined an interview for the documentary.)
The only time when Seeds of Change gets really fascinating is when they delve into the world of the human faces behind genetically modified crops, such as Percy Schmeiser, a Bruno, Saskatchewan farmer who was sued for growing genetically modified crops without a licence. (His crops were unknowingly contaminated with genetically modified canola.) This case, however, is not presented until about 50 minutes into the video.
So Seeds of Change isn’t all that entertaining. Sure, there are close ups of crops and newspaper clippings and images of farm equipment or trucks whizzing by countryside roads, but intersperse that with a lot of talking head-like shots and medium shots and it makes for a monotonous film. Well, at least visually.
Granted, the researchers don’t have formal training in filmmaking, but the visual blips are hard to miss. First of all, some of the people interviewed tend to have too much light on their faces, which results in a glare or shine that makes them look way too bright. Maybe there should have been a caution to tell viewers they might need to whip out some sunglasses while viewing the movie.
Another distracting thing about Seeds of Change is that some of the still images look like they’re trembling. You know how when you hit the pause button on your VCR and what you see on your screen looks like it’s quivering? Well, that’s what some of the still images remind me of. The stills don’t totter to the same degree as paused VCR images; instead, they slightly flutter. It’s subtle but annoying, and it really takes away from the video.
Although the movie is amazingly informative and the matter of genetically modified crops is meticulously investigated, the movie doesn’t look completely polished. Seeds of Change really is an important video that documents the clash between corporations and farmers. But had there been better lighting and text, Seeds of Change would have been much more enjoyable to watch.
Seeds of Change runs from Jan. 21 to Jan. 26 at Cinematheque.
