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ANNOUNCING OUR BRAND NEW FILMS: CHICORY UNPACKED
An art and science film essay by Marille Hahne and Jill Scott and inspired by an artist-in-residence experience in four labs of the CHIC EU Project. In this experience we learnt about the scientist’s biochemical research into the health and medicinal benefits of plants. The major example in this film is based on chicory (Cichorium Intybus) but the film can also be seen as an analogy for other plants with similar health and medical compounds. The film consists of three parts: “Cultivating Plants”, “Understanding Plants” and “Editing Plants” and each section can be watched separately. In both, art and science, communication about the future of plants and food needs unique ways to inform the audience about the health benefits of secondary compounds. This creative film approach encourages the understanding of what we eat, biochemistry research, our microbiome, and the medicinal and health potentials of plant molecules in the future.
CREDITS
Filmmakers Marille Hahne
Research and narration Jill Scott
Camera and montage Marille Hahne
© 2022 Scott / Hahne
PART ONE
CHICORY UNPACKED: CULTIVATING PLANTS: FARM MEETS GREENHOUSE
Marille Hahne and Jill Scott, 25 min, 2022
“Cultivating Plants”, offers some different viewpoints about plant production. These range from the cultivation and wishes of a farmers’ collective to the collaborations of botanists with scientists in greenhouse research. It features interviews with the scientists from two partners in the EU Chic Project: Senus, Holland, and Keygene, Holland. www.chicproject.eu
PART TWO
CHICORY UNPACKED: UNDERSTANDING PLANTS (2 films)
FILM 1
UNDERSTANDING PLANTS
THE GMO DEBATE: Then and Now
Marille Hahne and Jill Scott, 35 min, 2022
“THE GMO DEBATE: Then and Now”, features two fictional debates, that aim to encourage more public discussions about the relations between genetically modified plants and new breeding plant techniques that utilise gene editing. What are the current laws that govern these methods? One aim is to show how this debate has changed in the European Union over the last 22 years. There are two debates one from 1998 and another from 2022. Both debates are designed to stimulate very lively discussions in the classroom.
Supportive information:
For Patients and Edited Plants
For German Discussions on Mutagenesis
For more information on current GMO Debates
FILM 2
UNDERSTANDING PLANTS
AFTERTASTE: The Molecular Orchestra
arille Hahne and Jill Scott, 35 min, 2022
“AFTERTASTE: The Molecular Orchestra” is a documentary film about Jill Scotts new sound installation that focuses on understanding the future of food and health on a molecular level. The project was inspired by artist-in residence experiences with biochemists in Holland and Finland. It consists of interactive sculptures inspired by microscopic images that mimic the surface of the human perception of flavor including the tongue, the human nose, and a set of 24 food molecules that represent the molecular compounds of terpenes, phenolics, inulin’s, nutrients, and minerals. The public can playfully interact while learning about enhancements, ethics, and healing properties of chicory’s roots.
PART THREE
CHICORY UNPACKED: EDITING PLANTS
Marille Hahne and Jill Scott, 25 min, 2022
“Editing Plants” traces the motivations of biochemists in the EU CHIC research project, who aim to genetically edit plants for tomorrow’s consumers. It features explores how gene editing with CrispR-Cas9 might be a new form of breeding plant technology to enhance the health and medical benefits of chicory plants. Scientists and their Research results from these labs are featured Waginingen Research, Netherlands and VTT in Finland. www.chicproject.eu