Directed and narrated by Ann Shin, this important Canadian documentary had set out to examine the nutritional claims from marketers of so called superfoods, but ended up digging much deeper, into the sometimes heartbreaking impact our insatiable hunger for food purported to promote good health and and longevity have on farmers and fisherfolk around the world. From ancient grains – teff and quinoa – to coconuts and wild salmon, food trends can lure subsistence farmers and fishers onto an unsettling rollercoaster ride of supply and demand; price hills and valleys; feast and famine.
Bulls stamp grains of teff from stalks in Ethiopia
Through visits to Ethiopia, Bolivia, the Philippines, and Haida Gwaii, The Superfood Chain; Pulling up the Roots of the Superfood Industry unveils the faces of an otherwise faceless multi-billion dollar business – our consumption of the hottest world crops. It is in turns gut-wrenching, hopeful, and maddening, as well as mouth-watering; when one of the film’s subjects grills up some maple syrup-drenched BC salmon, life is good. But when developers eager to cash in on the latest food fad displace families who have farmed the land for generations, it becomes hard to deny one’s culpability. Ultimately, this film is asking us to be more mindful of the choices we make every day about what we eat, and to remember the men, women, and children – yes, children – who raise and catch it for us. – Signe Langford
Pablo and Justthia, Bolivian quinoa farmers
To book a screening, contact Fathom Distribution:
email: lana@fathomfilmgroup.com tel: 647.479.5818 ext 22, The Superfood Chain is a Fathom Film Group production, presented by TVO. Visit www.thesuperfoodchain.com for more information and recipes.
THE SUPERFOOD CHAIN – Official Trailer from Fathom Film Group – Ann Shin on Vimeo.
Quinoa in warehouse, Bolivia
Traditional fisherfolk, Haida Gwaii, Canada
Nora, Haida Gwaii, Canada
A superfood picnic in Toronto
Interactive website: http://www.thesuperfoodchain.com
Separating the teff from the chaff, Ethiopia
Quinoa Street Vendor, Bolivia
