Active Cultures and Now Instant present Seeds, a three-part cinematic meditation on new beginnings, hidden power, and pivotal transformation. 

Seeds are more than sources of nourishment. They hold ancestral memory: essential for preserving biodiversity, food sovereignty, and cultural heritage, resisting colonial displacement and destruction. These tiny vessels are also powerful symbols. Moving beyond the botanical, this artist-led film series delves into life's eternal cycles, the strength of resilience, the wonder of germination, and the quiet wisdom found in dormancy.

The second film in the series, Tending the Wild, is selected by Andrea Jimenez of Herb Club LA. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Andrea and Joel Garcia, Director of Meztli Projects. Together, they will discuss the film’s themes in relation to their work with people and plants in the local community, as well as reflections on the past ten years since the film was made.

Co-produced by PBS SoCal and the Autry Museum, Tending the Wild shines light on the environmental knowledge of Indigenous peoples across California by exploring how they have actively shaped and tended the land for millennia, in the process developing a deep understanding of plant and animal life. The one-hour documentary special examines how humans are necessary to live in balance with nature and how traditional practices can inspire a new generation of Californians to tend their environment.

Andrea Jimenez is a community-focused herbalist, naturalist, and visual storyteller dedicated to ecological awareness, holistic wellbeing, and reconnecting people with nature. As the founder of Herb Club LA, she has engaged over 2,000 participants in workshops and events emphasizing herbal medicine, wellness, and land stewardship. Growing up as a first-generation immigrant of Native American descent, Andrea is deeply committed to honoring Indigenous traditions and promoting natural ways of living. Her personal journey of healing through nature has reinforced her belief that caring for our inner world directly influences our outer world. Andrea sees the interconnectedness of land health, community health, and individual wellness at the core of her work, believing that connecting with plant kin and learning directly from nature empowers us to better care for ourselves and our planet.

Joel Garcia (Huichol) is an Indigenous artist, cultural organizer, educator, co-founder, and Director of Meztli Projects, an Indigenous-based arts & culture collaborative centering Indigeneity into the creative practice of Los Angeles. In various artistic roles, he has worked with Indigenous communities across borders to support land, access, and self-determination issues. His art practice (spanning printmaking, dye making, and public programming) explores healing and reconciliation, as well as memory and place, garnering national press in publications such as the LA Times, New Yorker, and Artforum, for his use of art in changing policies in support of Indigenous Peoples and issues.

Active Cultures is a public arts nonprofit in Los Angeles that explores the intersection of art, food, and ecologies through artist-led projects and programs.

Please note: seating is limited. Doors open thirty minutes prior to the listed showtime. Your RSVP does not guarantee you a seat. Seating is first-come, first-served.