Plant Life

Sep 15

Synopsis

Biologist Joanne Chory races ticking clocks of ecological collapse and her Parkinson’s Disease in her experiments with “supercharged plants” genetics to sequester carbon. The film is a portrait into her life, her bravery, her determination and the science she is pioneering that could change climate trajections at scale.

From the filmmaker

Humans are releasing around 18 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere per year beyond what the Earth can sustain without tipping out of homeostasis. Dr. Chory’s "supercharged" plants would change that equation, allowing plants to sequester carbon in suberin But there’s another side to this story — what does it mean to be diagnosed with a terminal neurodegenerative illness like Parkinson’s? How does it affect one's view of their life, work, purpose, and time left on Earth?