5 Food Films Everyone Who Eats Should See

by Katherine Gustafson · 2010-01-05 06:00:00 UTC
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Film is one of the most powerful means of illustrating a point, and those concerned with the American food industry have learned to make the most out of this medium. With last year's astonishing Food, Inc., the field of political food film has come into its own. Here are six movies anyone concerned with the US food system should see.

Food Inc. (2008) — This documentary pulls back the curtain to give viewers a peek into what really goes on in the United States' industrial food system. Get ready for a dose of outrage with your popcorn.

King Corn (2007) — This quirky film follows two guys who go to Iowa to grow an acre of corn as a starting point for an investigation into our country's most subsidized crop. When not driving combines, they sleuth out troubling truths about how we grow, pay for, process and consume corn.

The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2005) — This is the true story of a third-generation, Illinois farmer, John Peterson, who struggles to stay afloat as family farms decline. He eventually hits bottom — setting up a kooky hippie commune on the ancestral land — then pulls himself together to become a leader in CSA agriculture as head of Angelic Organics.

Super Size Me (2004) — Director Morgan Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's food three meals a day for 30 days to shed some light on our obesity epidemic. The effects of this diet are downright scary. Luckily, this film is as enjoyable to watch as it is disgusting and alarming.

The Future of Food (2004) — This documentary blows the doors open on how genetically modified foods are infiltrating the American food system. The film will make you wonder how seed company executives can sleep at night and raises big questions about the safety of the huge, uncontrolled GMO experiment we are putting ourselves through.

There are many other good ones out there I didn't have room to include here. Does anyone have one to recommend?

Photo courtesy of pameladrew212 via flickr

Katherine Gustafson is a freelance writer and editor with a background in international nonprofit organizations.
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