Captured through the eyes of an anthropologist, this beautifully produced film explores the rich culture of rice, still the basis of survival for most people throughout the world.

In the central Philippines lies a village where indigenous people have lived among their rice terraces for more than two thousand years. If placed end to end, the rice terraces would circle nearly half the globe. In Bali, the Subak water temples foster a unique blend of technological efficiency and religious ritual that together create a perfect ecological balance.

However, the world is rapidly running short on free land to grow rice. To address this issue, scientists at the International Rice Research Institute are developing rice grains with improved nutritional value, the most successful strain of which is Golden Rice, sometimes called the "Rosetta Stone" of genetically modified crops. This new strain has triggered an ongoing fight between the scientists and the farmers, the former of which claims that the genetically engineered rice will eliminate disease and poverty. The farmers, however, fear the influence of a monopoly owned by biotech companies and worry they’ll be driven out of business. In Thailand, a battle is already underway as companies begin patenting their own potent grains, a practice which may change the nature of rice forever.

“Gods of Rice is a very informative and enjoyable piece of film-making. It raises many worthwhile issues, not only the relation between science and tradition but also the struggle between tradition and modern globalized life and finally the boundary between horticulture and intensive agriculture.”
‒David Eller, Anthropology Review Database