I used footage from these several films in an undergraduate food history class I taught at Washington State University.
American
- Silence of the Bees (2006) Nature. As the honey bees go, so goes our food, say experts who understand pollination. This stunning and disturbing portrayal of honey bees in trouble from being treated like so many widgets and exposed to monocultures laced with pesticides and chemical fertilizers is masterfully done. “Environmental stress, including pesticides and the strain of being trucked across time zones and climates, may also be a factor. Poor nutrition may also contribute, a diet of corn syrup or the nutritionally inferior nectar or pollen of crops such as cranberry, cucumbers or melons.”
Here’s the link to watch this highly recommended video online. Silence of the Bees.
- The Future of Food (2004) Linda Koons Garcia. Jerry Garcia may be gone, but his wife soldiers on–laying bare the sins of Monsanto et al. The film offers an in-depth investigation into the highly disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. If you’re puzzled by the GMO thing, count on Linda Koons Garcia for clarification that will turn you into a card carrying member of the delicious revolution. Why, for starters, are Europe and Japan adamant about labeling GMO foods and here the USA it’s biz as usual? Here’s the NYT review.
- Food, Inc (2009) Robert Kenner. This film got rave reviews for exposing the sinister underbelly of agribusiness. True that an alarming picture is painted. A good view, although because filmed in the US where access is more tightly controll, the imagery and story is not as revealing as in the European documentaries.
- And of course, The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2005). All about one free spirit’s rise against the status quo and his love affair with Consumer Supported Agriculture. Not to be missed is Farmer John on his tractor in his bumble bee suit and feather boa.
European
What’s interesting about the two Austrian films that top this list is the access the filmmakers got to corporate operations. Extraordinarily candid footage when compared to similar food documentaries shot in the US. Highly recommended.
- The World According to Monsanto (2008) Marie-Monique Robin’s call to action documentary paints a grim picture of a company with a long track record of environmental crimes and health scandals–and US government sanction.This film does yeoman service to etch the message that GMOs are sinister as hell into our consciousness.
- We Feed the World (2005) Erwin Wagenhofer. I call this the “mama pigs” film because of the unforgettable and highly disturbing footage Wagenhofer offers. Generally, this is a film about food and globalisation, fishermen and farmers, long-distance lorry drivers and high-powered corporate executives, the flow of goods and cash flow–a film about scarcity amid plenty.
- Our Daily Bread (2005) Nikolaus Geyrhalter. Enough said to quote the NYT review: “documentary is an unblinking, often disturbing look at industrial food production from field to factory. Mr. Geyrhalter has said that he is fascinated by “zones and areas people normally don’t see.” His fascination is our gain. “Our Daily Bread” can be extremely difficult to watch, but the film’s formal elegance, moral underpinning and intellectually stimulating point of view also make it essential. You are what you eat; as it happens, you are also what you dare to watch.”
