Spirit of Rice:
One Grain, Ten Thousand Grains
Documentary movie produced by Planetary health and Macrobiotic Global Institute
You eat rice.
One of the most widely consumed grains on Earth—one that has sustained cultures and civilizations for millennia, far beyond where most people imagine.
But what do you really know about it?
- Is eating rice truly beneficial—or is it risky, and why does so much confusion exist today?
- How do you choose rice that actually supports health?
- Why can rice thrive even in northern, colder, and drier climates?
- What is awned rice, and why is it fundamentally different from most modern rice varieties?
- And how could you really grow rice yourself—right where you live?
Awned rice grown at South River Farm, Conway, Massachusetts
The Spirit of Rice explores these—and many other—questions succinctly and clearly. It is a visually rich, heartfelt documentary that invites you into a deeper, more meaningful story of food—one that unfolds far from industrial fields and supermarket shelves. Filmed over a full growing cycle, the film follows rice from seed to harvest and reveals why this humble grain has been honored for thousands of years as a source of nourishment, balance, and peace.
This is not a film about farming techniques alone.
It is about relationship—between soil and water, people and plants, tradition and future. Along the way, you’ll discover why traditional rice varieties matter, how rice can be grown almost anywhere (even in a simple bucket), and what happens when we slow down enough to listen to the land.
Produced by Planetary Health and the Macrobiotic Global Institute — nonprofits devoted to sustainable, regenerative living — the film features inspiring voices from the fields of medical research, nutrition, and the culinary arts, including Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Neal Barnard, M.D., and soil biogeochemist Angela Seyfferth of the University of Delaware.
🎬 Film Information
Length: 60 minutes
Release Year: 2025
Free Streaming: Available on planetaryhealth.com and macrobioticglobalinstitute.com
Director: Sheri DeMaris
Filmmaker & Video Editor: Marlee Snyder
Assistant Video Editors: Alex Jack, Danka Jack & Touhid Tipu
Filmed at: Christian and Gaella Elwell’s South River Farm in Conway, Massachusetts
With gratitude to:
Michio Kushi (in memoriam), Aveline Kushi (in memoriam), Edward Esko, and the Rice Committee
🎥 Watch the film
This film exists because of community support. Your contribution helps us create more educational resources, and keep these materials freely accessible.
🌾 Moved by the Film? Take the Next Step
If The Spirit of Rice resonated with you, here are simple ways to continue.
Support Our Activities
Your donation helps keep films, research, and seed resources freely available.
Buy the Book
Spirit of Rice: One Grain, Ten Thousand Grains deepens the story with essays, recipes, and photographs from the film.
Get the Directory
Find trusted sources for organic and awned rice seeds, growers, tools, and educational resources.
Grow Rice Yourself
Learn how to grow awned rice in a garden or even in a simple bucket.
Want to know more?
Explore the story and spirit behind the world’s most essential grain in
Spirit of Rice: One Grain, Ten Thousand Grains
by Alex Jack and Mark Leonas
Discover the living cycle of rice in this beautifully crafted companion to the Spirit of Rice documentary.
With essays by Alex Jack and Mark Leonas, delicious recipes, and 130 close-up photographs and outtakes from the film, this book captures rice as a symbol of nourishment, resilience, and the deep connection between food, land, and spirit.
What’s inside?
- The seven stages of rice, from seed to harvest
- Cultural and historical insights on rice worldwide
- Behind-the-scenes film content and reflections
- Seasonal macrobiotic recipes
- Simple steps for growing rice at home
Need seeds, recipes, or other resources?
You will find it in our
Organic Rice Directory
The Organic Rice Directory is the first publication of its kind—a practical and inspiring guide to understanding rice as food, culture, and living ecology.
It brings together leading voices in farming, macrobiotics, and regenerative agriculture to explore why how rice is grown matters, from traditional and awned varieties to modern challenges and solutions. Thoughtful essays examine rice’s cultural, energetic, and nutritional dimensions, alongside seasonal recipes and real-world farming experience.
The directory also includes 125 carefully researched listings of organic rice growers, seed sources (including awned rice), farms, tools, education, and cultural resources—making it both a reference guide and a pathway to action.
Whether you want to grow rice, choose better rice, or support biodiversity and seed preservation, the Organic Rice Directory connects knowledge with practical resources.
Do you want to grow your own awned rice?
You do not need a rice paddy to grow rice.
Awned rice can be grown:
- 🌾 In your garden
- 🪣 In a large bucket or container
- 🌞 On a balcony or sunny outdoor space
🤍 Support Our Work
This film, and educational work exist thanks to community support.
Your donation helps us:
- Support macrobiotic educational projects
- To protect the natural food supply and healthy environment
- Keep our research independent and accessible
Every contribution—large or small—helps one grain become ten thousand.