Posted Nov 9th 2006 3:32PM by Jeffrey M. Anderson
Filed under: Documentary, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews
I love coffee. And I'm not talking about your double-half-caff-latte-with-a-twist. I'm talking black coffee, nothing in it. Why drown the taste with sugar and cream? Isn't that like dumping ice cubes in your Pinot Noir? I've been grinding my own beans and brewing my own coffee for years. I know which brands I like, and I try to buy 'Fair Trade' when I can. But ultimately what I really know about coffee could only fill about half a cup.
That's where the new documentary Black Gold, now in limited release, comes in. First-time filmmakers (and brothers) Marc and Nick Francis travel the world over to capture images of coffee plantations, coffee farmers and loving hands carefully caressing piles of unroasted beans. But if this were merely a documentary about the process of bean fields-to-Starbucks, it wouldn't be playing in theaters. No, Black Gold is actually the year's 1000th passive political documentary about how horrible the world is. In Ethiopia, where some of the the finest coffee in the world is harvested, farmers get the equivalent of pennies per sack, whereas, halfway around the world, Westerners pay up to three dollars per cup. Fortunately the film didn't make me feel guilty enough to give up coffee, and it does offer a small, simple response -- if not a solution -- available to nearly anyone in this country.
With Black Gold, the brothers reveal an inquisitive filmic style, exploring and following characters rather than grilling them with interview questions. And, like the best documentaries, they have found a compelling lead character with Tadesse Meskela, who in Ethiopia represents a giant co-op, encompassing 74 farms and over 70,000 farmers. Meskela travels all over, from London to Seattle and New York (where the coffee prices are set) inspecting sacks of beans and meeting with potential buyers. In one heartbreaking scene, he visits a typical supermarket, trying to find at least one bag of coffee that was grown by his farmers. The film presents Meskela as a likable, passionate, highly educated fellow; at home, his wife praises his dedication and complains about his constant absence.
In another subplot, the Francis brothers show how many farmers are giving up coffee growing altogether, simply because they can no longer feed their families on the meager profits. Rather, they are using their land to grow chat, a narcotic plant whose leaves, when chewed, give off a euphoric effect. The film shows a "chat" market from the window of a moving car, making it look as sad and as hopeless as a corner drug deal on some graffiti-smeared street in the U.S.
Despite all this, the filmmakers only present a one-sided story, assuming that corporations are evil without doing the legwork to find out why and how. (They never interview any CEOs.) They sprinkle their film with random, loaded images of rich white people leisurely sipping their cups of coffee, presumably ignorant about where it came from and how little the workers are being paid. We also get a horrifying "tour" of the original Starbucks coffee house in Seattle, conducted by two chirpy young women who express delighted awe at being part of such a powerful empire. (In a leaked memo, a Starbucks VP has since accused the filmmakers of inaccuracy.)
Still, Black Gold is a beautifully made film that takes time to observe the beauties (and horrors) of its world. It prefers the natural rhythm of conversation, complete with pauses, stops and starts. It appears to invite the viewer in rather than demanding that the viewer pay attention. Best of all, this informative film suggests a plan of action: coffee consumers can help by buying only fair trade goods, or by seeking out coffee from Ethiopia (Whole Foods apparently sells it). Thereby we get the benefit of taste, and they get the benefit of a living wage.
Source: Cinematical