Photo courtesy of Magnolia PicturesIf you eat, you should see this film… even though it is said to be slightly disturbing. We need to be aware of some truths about our food system… truths big agribusiness doesn’t want us to know, and some laws they hope to enact to keep us from knowing. Somehow I think it is appropriate to post this just before we Americans celebrate our Independence on July 4th.
The film closely follows books like “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, and “Fast Food Nation” by Eric Schlosser — to the point that its own voice becomes somewhat muted. But as Mr. Kenner [the director] explained when interviewed in New York last week, he made it for people who will never read the books.
Featuring interviews with such experts as the authors of the books above, and with forward-thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, “Food, Inc.” reveals surprising, and often shocking, truths about the safety of what we eat, the often horrifying way it is produced, and the corporate powers that actually control our food supply.
As “Food, Inc.” demonstrates, the corporate control of our food has given us a new strain of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that cause illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually; widespread obesity, particularly among children; and an epidemic level of diabetes and heart disease among adults. The film also describes the abusive persecutions and prosecution of farmers around the country by Monsanto as it attempts to push its genetically engineered crops.
There has been lots of press about this movie, and I certainly intend to see it. I doubt it will ever play in my small burg, but the DVD will be available at some point. Meanwhile, here’s the trailer…
Edit: Sorry, the trailer code doesn't seem to work. Try Here
I could not find a potential local showing for the movie Food, Inc. So, I reserved a copy from Netflix which has no release date as yet.
ReplyDeleteI ordered a couple other movies that they carried, although not as highly rated: "The Future of Food" (2004) and its companion disc, "Fed Up" (2002), and "Bad Seed: The Truth About Our Food" (2005).
We went to see Food Inc at our local theatre, after dinner at a local fresh food restaurant. With all the local food, local harvest, slow food etc groups in this area, I was expecting a full theatre. There were only 15 people there. Perhaps the after dinner showtime was the reason.
ReplyDeleteIt was also interesting to see those present stuffing themselves with junk food while watching the film. I think the films message may have gone over some their heads.
Food Inc is an interesting food documentary, but it is more of an overview of what is wrong with the industrial food system.
"The Future of Food" is a bit dry but worth watching. "Future" shows the organized crime tactics used by the big M and the impact on farmers who have little resource to fight back. The extras on that DVD include interviews with the scientists who were blackballed and forced from their jobs after their research showed irrefutable evidence that genetically altered food caused intestinal illness and tumours in the animals used in the study.
We just saw the movie "Fresh" this weekend. This one should be shown in tandem with Food Inc. Fresh is very inspiring. You finish this film with a sense of hope and empowerment.
http://www.freshthemovie.com/
Thanks, I looked at the trailer for 'Fresh'... looks great!
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