Posts Tagged ‘documentary’
Is There ‘Blood In The Mobile’?
Posted by Lorin Drinkard / Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
At this year’s Filmfest DC, more than 80 films from across the globe are being screened now through April 22. This international event is celebrating its 26th year of showcasing some of the year’s best features, documentaries and shorts.
And, action! / Photo credit: Razumovskaya Marina Nikolaevna
A full schedule of films can be found here, and include some comedic, Caribbean and social justice-focused series.
Speaking of social justice, you will not look at your cell phone the same way after watching filmmaker Frank Poulsen’s “Blood In the Mobile.“
Filmfest DC doesn't shy away from difficult topics, like social injustice. / Photo courtesy: Danish Film Institute
This 82-minute documentary follows Poulsen as he attempts to answer the following: Is my cell phone financing war? With tips that the minerals used in Nokia phones could possibly be traced back to trade in Congo, Poulsen treks to the Nokia headquarters and to Goma, Norther Kivu, seeking answers.
Thru April 22, times vary; various theatres; www.filmfestdc.org
– Lorin Drinkard
Posted by Lindsey Leake / Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
NoVA native discusses Oscar-winning documentary ‘Undefeated’
Prince William Park Authority disbands, will merge with county government
Southwest Airlines seeks nonstop service between Austin, Reagan National
Long-term road closures coming to Route 50 in Arlington next week
9 Virginians among more than 140 White House spring interns
22-year-old Manassas man charged with raping Herndon teen
Top Metro executives took home more than $3 million in 2011
(Compiled by Lindsey Leake)
20th Annual Environmental Film Festival
Posted by Geoff Nelowet / Friday, March 9th, 2012
Graph | Shutterstock
Watch movies for a cause.
The 20th annual Environmental Film Festival is back for a milestone year, and will likely be presenting their biggest and most star-studded event yet. The 20th anniversary Festival will present 180 films, including 93 Washington, D.C., United States and World premieres, from 42 countries. The crux of the festival takes place in the DC area with a retrospective of the work of Academy Award-nominated director Lucy Walker, who will screen her latest film, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. Iconic filmmaker Ken Burns will also be in the area presenting his new documentary, The Dust Bowl.
But the festival is not driven by its star power — this is an event for and about environmental awareness. The festival directors note:
”Growing awareness of the critical role that the environment plays in human health has inspired the theme of the 20th anniversary. The water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe are all essential to human life. The effects of toxins and pollutants on the human life support system can be disastrous to our health. Our films address the complex relationship between health and the environment with the warning that whatever we do to the environment we do to ourselves.”
So whether you’re a film or environmental enthusiast — or just looking for something to do, come out and enjoy a few movies by internationally recognized filmmakers.
The 20th annual Environmental Film Festival will start showing films and documentaries across the Washington DC area on Tuesday, March 13. The venues for the viewings change regularly. Find the schedule here. Tickets are typically free.
Posted by Warren Rojas / Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
(Image: The History Channel)
Reclusive rillette maker Jamie Stachowski is ready for his close up, and he’s bringing all things animal flesh along for the eye-popping ride tonight with Meat America.
The two hour episode (airing from 9-11 p.m. on the History Channel) appears to follow the now familiar food doc/travelogue format, with Stachowski bouncing around the U.S. gathering odd bits of our culinary history for every bite of mixed protein he wolfs down.
A show teaser places Stachowshi in Chi-town, The Pelican State and Cali during this initial installment; Stachowski apparently didn’t find much worth filming in our collective backyard–”There’s no TV talent here,” he joked–but did give a shout out to local farmers market standby Mark Toigo of Toigo Orchards.
“It’s pretty simple: Jamie goin [sic] around meeting people, talking meat, havin [sic] fun wit it, and giving a bit of, duh, history … you know, the Jamie show,” was the way Stachowski encapsulated what we should expect to see on the screen tonight.
Here’s the official show description:
“Jamie Stachowski, the maestro of meat, lifts the lid on the American melting pot to see what’s cooking. Beef, pork and chicken, meats Jamie calls the “Usual Suspects” are definitely in the mix, but these animals weren’t even on the continent before Columbus discovered the New World. Jamie travels across the country to try and unravel how these meats made it to America, and why. He’ll take you places your stomach won’t want to leave. Sit down, pull up a plate and dig in … you’re in for a madcap mouthwatering and protein packed exploration of everything meat.”
Can’t watch live/DVR Stachowksi’s star turn? Operators are standing by to rush the feature length DVD right to your door.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, February 7th, 2011
Are you hungry for a change? That is the primary question the movie Food Inc. poses, while shining a bright light on modern agriculture. Food-borne illnesses and recalls have become far too common in our society. Farmers are constantly being disrespected by greedy and impatient corporations. It makes no economical sense to buy organic food anymore, but we must take a stand. These companies that sell us our food must be held accountable. They will change at some point if they are forced to. We have the purchasing power to make that happen in the future.
Theatrically released in June of 2009, Food Inc. was so critically acclaimed that it received an Oscar nomination last year. Director Robert Kenner devoted six years of his life researching a widespread problem in order to raise awareness in his film. It explores the food industry’s detrimental effects on our environment and health. He interviews those who are trying to reform an industry where monopolies, political ties, illegal activity, and outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli are becoming more commonplace. All of which is made possible by the government, who subsidizes crops like corn. Most of what you will find in grocery stores is re-engineered corn starch. Freedom of speech and choice are now more at risk than they ever were before in this country.
This movie is not really for the faint of heart, especially when the meat industry is explored at length. You will learn that ignorance is not necessarily always bliss. Knowledge is power, and enlightened consumers can make a difference. Support the brands that go the extra mile to do the right thing. We cast our vote for them in a sense every time we purchase their products. Stonyfield Farms is one of the companies that Kenner profiles, but there are many others. Chipotle prides itself on the way their meat was raised, and some locations actually screened the movie last year. Food with integrity should be everyone’s slogan. Let’s make it happen.
Below is the trailer, courtesy of YouTube. Netflix subscribers can instantly stream it online.
-Ryan Robertson
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
By now you may be thinking I’m obsessed with movies about food, seeing as how this is my third post on the topic. That may be the case.
If you are interested in more food related films at an affordable price, you can catch them at the DC Independent Film Festival, which goes until March 14th.
Image: DCIFF
All films can be seen at the Navy Memorial Museum/Heritage Center/Burke Theatre in DC (701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W). Sessions are typically $10 (less for students/seniors) and include several movies. You can also attend 10 sessions for $50.
Tuesday, March 9
Bananas!* Watch the case of a banned pesticide between Nicaraguan banana workers and Dole Foods unfold in this suspenseful documentary. Part of the Politics of Food theme session. 7pm.
Calzone. An 11 minute film about a Mafia godfather eating dinner in an Italian restaurant. When he orders a calzone he realizes there isn’t an egg inside it and makes a big ordeal out of the matter. Part of the Politics of Food theme session at the festival. 7pm, right after Bananas!*
Image: Bananas!*
Thursday, March 11
Beyond the Pole. A film about two guys trying to be the first Carbon Neutral, Vegetarian, Organic expedition to attempt the North Pole. Can they finish the expedition without any experience, is it a dream, or did they die and go to heaven? Find out at 7pm. It’s part of the Green Room theme session of the festival.
Saturday, March 13
Between Grass and Sky: Rhythms of a Cowboy Poem. Images of the American West are portrayed in poems by three cowboy poets in this short documentary. The 6 minute film is part of the Artistic Expressions theme session. 1:30pm.
A Drop in the Bucket. A documentary about good people providing clean water in rural Cambodia. The filmmaker spent the last two years building fifteen wells with the help of Sambrothers Clean Water Project and Journeys Within Our Community. The 23 minute film is part of the Asian Pearls theme session. 4:45pm. Visit the non-profit organization’s website for information on how you can help.
The last film is included because World Water Day is coming up on March 22nd. And last I checked you can’t make food without water. More information on that in an upcoming blog.
Speaking of water and food…today is National Crabmeat Day. And The Cove won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
–Aisha Salazar
Films Connect Food and the Environment
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Image: Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital
The 18th Annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital will be held March 16-28 in Washington, DC and will feature 155 films. One of the main themes at the festival this year is the connection between food and the environment. 32 of the films will be part of the Food & Agriculture Film Series.
Topics include school food programs, the sustainable organic movement, biodiversity, the slow food movement, food security, migrant farm workers, and urban agriculture. Bonus: The majority of the films are free!
Below is a list of films that relate to our region.
If you haven’t seen Fresh, which features Virginia farmer Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, you can watch it on March 17 at 7:30pm at the National Geographic Society. Following the screening, you can participate in a discussion featuring the filmmaker Ana Sofia Joanes, Ann Yonkers, Co-director of FRESHFARM Markets, and by phone, Joel Salatin.
Lunch is a short documentary co-presented by the Earth Day Network & Center for Environmental Filmmaking. The film takes a look at school lunch programs, particularly within the Baltimore, MD public school system. It will be shown with the film Potato Heads at American University with a discussion afterwards with the Potato Heads filmmaker and the Director, Avis Richards of Earth Day Network. The film can be seen on March 22 at 7pm and is free to the public.
NORA! A film about Nora Pouillon, DC’s pioneer in the organic and local-food movement and owner of the nation’s first certified organic restaurant. Following the film there will be a discussion with the star herself. The film can be seen for free on March 23 at 7pm and will be screened at the International Student House.
Who Killed Crassostrea Virginica: The Fall and Rise of Chesapeake Bay Oysters. A whodunit film about the decline of the Chesapeake Bay oyster population. Was it the watermen, the oyster farmers, or the scientists who study them? The film can be seen for free on March 21 at 1:30pm at the Carnegie Institution for Science and will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Michael Fincham and oyster biologist Ken Paynter and Captain Ed Farley.
There will also be films on global water issues, including a film on the restoration of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC (The Meaningful Watershed Education Experience), and a fifteen minute excerpt on chemical contaminants within the Chesapeake Bay (Poisoned Waters: Chesapeake Bay).
For a complete list, visit the film festival 2010 Films page.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
The 82nd Academy Awards nominations were announced today. Five food-related films are contenders for the coveted Oscars in five different categories.
Image: Boston Grub Street
-The Cove for Documentary Feature
-Fantastic Mr. Fox for Animated Feature Film and Music, Original Score
-Food, Inc for Documentary Feature
-French Roast for Short Film
-Julie & Julia for Actress in a Leading Role (Meryl Streep as Julia Child)
The Cove (Official Selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival) exposes the true story behind the dolphin capture trade industry in Taiji, Japan, the mercury levels in dolphins, and how dolphin meat is deceptively sold as whale meat to Japanese school systems.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is the Wes Anderson adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel. It is the story of Mr. Fox, a chicken thief turned responsible writer, who reverts back to his old ways and leads his neighbors into stealing from local farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. Fantastic Mr. Fox is currently playing at University Mall Theaters in Fairfax, VA.
Food, Inc examines the way large corporations dominate the food industry and affect what consumers can afford and eat. The movie features Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms in Swoope, VA.
French Roast is the story of a businessman who discovers he has lost his wallet while drinking coffee in a Parisian café. The eight minute film can be viewed on below or on youtube.
Julie & Julia is the story of blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 goal to cook all the recipes found within Julia Child’s first book, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” A replica of Julia’s kitchen plays a starring role in the film. To see the real kitchen that was donated by Julia to the Smithsonian in 2001, visit the National Museum of American History where it is on permanent display. Or take on Julie’s quest by tackling Julia’s recipes one week at a time.
Why not feed your brain by hosting an Oscars viewing party prior to the awards show, which airs Sunday, March 7 at 5p.m. Eastern on ABC.
–Aisha Salazar
Food, Inc. Aims to Feed Your Head
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
The documentarian drumbeat against industrial eating complexes continues this summer with the upcoming release of Food, Inc.:
(Video: Magnolia Pictures)
NoVA locavores may have recognized Polyface Farm principal Joel Salatin spouting off in the above trailer, as the so-proclaimed “grass farmer” has been catapulted to the forefront of the sustainable agriculture movement following his near-messianic role in Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.”
In Food, Inc., Salatin waxes philosophic about what elected officials SHOULD busy themselves with when it comes to our food supply:
Imagine what it would be if, as a national policy, the idea would be to have such nutritionally dense food that people actually felt better, had more energy and weren’t sick as much? Now, you see, that’s a noble goal!
Food Inc. is set to premiere locally Friday, June 19 at D.C.’s E Street Cinema and AMC Loews Shirlington 7.
Meanwhile, Food, Inc. co-producer and food journalist Eric Schlosser will most likely take a drubbing for his pinko dining habits on tonight’s Colbert Report.
-Warren