Seeds of Change

CONTEXT 

Long before we spoke of genes or DNA, humans were already shaping plants and plants were shaping us. Based on a concept published in Hebelstrup et al., Prehistoric Plant Exploitation and Domestication: An Inspiration for the Science og De Novo Domestication in Present Times. Plants 12(12) 2310 (Hebelstrup et al., 2023), Seeds of Change tells the 10,000‑year story of plant breeding: from the first grain fields to today’s research on future crops and sustainable food systems conducted. The film was created through a unique collaboration between the Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Viborg Municipality/ Viborg UNESCO Creative City – Media Arts, The Animation Workshop/VIA University College, and the Sci-Vi Network, and animated by Cosimo Miorelli. 

Developed in Viborg’s unique ecosystem of researchers and creative professionals, the project demonstrates how animation can make complex scientific knowledge accessible to a global audience. 

More info on the concept and collaboration can be found at: Seeds of Change: Når forskning, animation og Viborgs kreative kræfter mødes 

Data is taken from Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie 

CONTENT 

The film explores how humans have shaped plant evolution for over 10,000 years—long before the concepts of genetics or DNA were known. By selecting plants with desirable traits such as better taste, yield, or harvestability, humans unknowingly became plant breeders, while plants simultaneously shaped human societies, diets, and cultures. Through animation, the project connects ancient agricultural practices with modern plant science and breeding technologies. It also highlights how today’s research seeks resilient crops that can withstand climate change, pests, and extreme weather.  

CREDITS: 

Director and Artist: Cosimo Miorelli 

Writer: Kim Hebelstrup – Department of Agroecology, Crop Genetics and Biotechnology, Aarhus University (AU) 

Producer: Sia Søndergaard – Sci-Vi 

Co-producers: Anne Krog Ingerslev & Isabella Marie Leong – Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University (AU) 

Narrator: Kirk Johnson 

Music and Sound: Audio Gangsters 

A Special Thanks to Amaia Arranz-Otaegui, Leje Land of Legends, the Natuonal Museum of Denmark