One Man Dies a Million Times and the Seeds That May Save Him

In the midst of the Siege of Leningrad, two botanists–Alyssa and Maksim–work tirelessly to protect a seed bank and its invaluable contents: seeds of edible plants from around the globe that are essential to the development of modern agriculture. With the future of Russia’s food supply on the line, the pair defend the nation’s stockpile from swarms of hungry rodents, enemies of the state, their nation’s own starving population, and even each other. As Leningrad is cut off from the rest of the world, Alyssa and Maksim slowly discover the strength to carry on in the love they find in one another.

A documentary and a narrative thriller, One Man Dies a Million Times takes real people and events from the past and shifts their story from the 1940s to a modern setting to address modern problems. In light of rapidly increasing climate change, vanishing ecosystems, constant genetic modification, and dwindling biodiversity, they demonstrate why it is more important than ever to preserve the immense and unparalleled reserve of the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources.

One Man Dies a Million Times transposes the true story of the perils that faced the world’s first seed bank and the botanists that fought to protect both the past and the future.

After the screening, join guest speaker Will Bonsall as he examines the question: why is seed diversity important? At the helm of the Scatterseed project, Will Bonsall has safeguarded an extensive array of seed varieties, numbering in the thousands. The pivotal role of seed diversity unfolds against the backdrop of a shifting climate. With each seed variety potentially holding resilience to rising temperatures, intensified rainfall, and other environmental shifts, the preservation of this diversity becomes incredibly important. Bonsall not only highlights the urgency but also guides individuals to save seed to independently contribute to the perpetual preservation of seeds and plant species for future generations.

Part of Science on Screen®, an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

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