Featuring Michael Pollan and based on his best-selling book, this special takes viewers on an eye-opening exploration of the human relationship with the plant world - seen from the plants' point of view. Narrated by Frances McDormand, the program shows how four familiar species - the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato - evolved to satisfy our yearnings for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control.
Deleted Scenes:
- Bringing Back Hard Cider: Steven Wood explains the challenges of re-introducing Americans to a forgotten beverage with an elegant history;
- How The Delicious Apple Got Its Name: The story of a bright red apple that has become an American icon;
- Like A Florist From 100 Years Ago: Teresa Sabankaya not only sells antique roses -- she grows most of the flowers in her shop; and
- Racing the Clock: The Dutch Auction: Aalsmeer is the Wall Street of the flower world, where prices are set in a descending-bid system known as 'the Dutch auction.'
Panel Discussion:
The Botany of Desire: Perspectives from the Arts, Humanities and Sciences: A panel of professors from UC Berkeley discusses the interdisciplinary importance of The Botany of Desire.
Bonus Footage:
Additional footage from Michael Pollan's interview: Some fascinating historical and botanical facts that didn't make it into the documentary. Including:
The apple: from Rome to America
Applejack: even harder than hard cider
Johnny Appleseed: the American Dionysus
Beyond sweetness
The tulip: too common to appreciate?
Clusius and the cult of the tulip
Hemp vs. marijuana
Coffee and other plant drugs
The potato in Europe
Growing the NewLeaf potato
Producer: Michael Schwarz
Production Year: 2008
Rating: TV-PG
Narrator: Frances McDormand
Writers: Michael Pollan
Number of Discs: 1
Length: 120 minutes
Language Track: English
Audio Format: 5.1 Surround
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen
VIDEO USAGE RIGHTS
Why the AV version? Because it provides additional usage options for PBS videos. AV versions come with limited performance rights so they can be shown in classrooms, at PTA meetings, during after school programs, and transmitted on a closed-circuit system within a building or on a single campus. They also can be enjoyed in admission-free public screenings, which also makes them ideal for use by library patrons and businesses involved in community clubs and organizations.