The End Of Poverty?

The End Of Poverty? (2008)

How to view: Rent for $2.99 on Vimeo

Director: Philippe Diaz | Producer: Cinema Libre Studio
Produced 2013 | Country: USA
Run Time: 1hr 44 min | Language: English, Spanish, French

Synopsis: The End of Poverty? is a daring, thought-provoking and very timely documentary by award-winning filmmaker, Philippe Diaz, revealing that poverty is not an accident. It began with military conquest, slavery and colonization that resulted in the seizure of land, minerals and forced labor. Today, global poverty has reached new levels because of unfair debt, trade and tax policies -- in other words, wealthy countries exploiting the weaknesses of poor, developing countries.
The End of Poverty? asks why today 20% of the planet’s population uses 80% of its resources and consumes 30% more than the planet can regenerate?

Recommendation: The trailer looks great and worth the watch.

The Reality of Food Aid: Bill Pritchard

The Reality of Food Aid: Bill Pritchard 

How to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJc0tYNGcWo

Director: TEDx | Producer: TED Talks

Produced | Country: Australia 

Run Time: 13.05 minutes | Language: English 

Synopsis: Bill Pritchard, human geographer, challenges our views on what it takes to create a food-secure world. Bill is an Associate Professor in Geography at the University of Sydney, where he teaches and researches on food, agriculture and rural and regional development. He embraces a geographer's passion to understand the world, believing that the best way to understand an issue is to see it first hand and talk directly to the people involved.

Opinion: Interesting insight into food aid from a geographical perspective.  

Impact of the FTA with Colombian Small-Scale Framers

Impact of the FTA with Colombian Small-Scale Framers and Workers 

How to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ny3C3d-ToI 

Director: | Producer: Enlalucha Films, US Office on Colombia 

Produced | Country: Colombia  

Run Time: 6.41 minutes  | Language: Spanish (English subtitles) 

Synopsis:  Today, the U.S. Office on Colombia, along with more than 400 other organizations, academics, and individuals from the United States and Colombia, sent a letter to the U.S. Congress asking representatives to vote no on the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA). The Labor Action Plan has not stopped new violence on trade unionists and labor activists from taking place, nor has it banned third party contracting that obstructs workers’ ability to unionize. 

Opinion: This powerful video voices the opinions of small-scale farmers, laborers and women of how rural areas in Colombia are being displaced. See how hegemonic countries affect the developing world. 

U.S Food Aid Reform

U.S Food Aid Reform 101

How to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Gv-o8BE44

Director: | Producer: Lisa Ferrell 
Produced | Country: United States
Run Time: 2.45minutes | Language: English 

Synopsis: Food aid reform can feed 4 million more people without costing the U.S. an extra dollar. Here's everything you need to know about food aid reform in just under 3 minutes. 

Opinion: U.S food aid has been critical in saving lives and addressing chronic poverty and malnutrition. But the current system, which requires shipping food from the U.S to hungry people in need, is outdated, inefficient and slow, risking lives when every moment counts. 


Recommendation:
Good introductory video for people who are new to the foreign aid reform. 

Life, Land and Justice in Uganda

Life, Land and Justice in Uganda

How to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17QxF61PVC4

Director: | Producer: Friends of the Earth International 
Produced | Country: Kalangala, Uganda 
Run Time: 5.07minutes | Language: Central Sudanic (English subtitles)  

Synopsis: In Kalangala, Uganda, John Muyisa woke up one day to find bulldozers clearing his land to plant oil palms. John and his community have preserved their forests and lands for generations. Now their way of life is at risk. 

Opinion: Support John. In this video he has had the opportunity to share what happens to communities every single day, many who do not have a voice. 

Recommendation:

Blue Gold: World Water Wars

How to View: Stream for free via Amazon Prime or Netflix; pay to watch on iTunes; buy DVD for $19.95 http://www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com/store.html

About:
Director: Sam Bozzo | Producer: 
Produced: 2008 | Country: 
Run time: 90 minutes | Language: 

Synopsis: Wars of the future will be fought over water as they are over oil today, as the sources of human survival enters the global marketplace and political arena.  Corporate giants, private investors, and corrupt governments vie for control of our dwindling supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolutions from citizens fighting for the right to survive.  Past civilizations have collapsed from poor water management.  Can the human race survive?


Opinion:

Recommendation: 

Fresh

Viewer: Brittany Collins

Stream for free: http://www.thefutureoffood.com/onlinevideo.html


Director: Deborah Koons Garcia | Producer: Catherine Butler and Koons Garcia
Produced: 2004 | Country: United States
Run time: 1:29:00 | Language: English

Synopsis: The Future Of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

Opinion:

• Starts off with background information about how the food system has changed over the past couple of centuries
• Quickly transitions into how the Green Revolution became the Gene Revolution, setting the tone for a narrow focus on genetic engineering
• Lots of anti-GMO, especially anti-Monsanto segments, as well as explanations of how companies have patented living organisms 
• Interviews with farmers who have been sued by Monsanto for violating their patent
• Big focus on biotech revolution
• Mentions it is cheaper for Mexico to import corn from the U.S. than to grow its own because of U.S. subsidies
• U.S. subsidizes crops, Europe subsidizes farmers, Canada and Mexico subsidize neither
• University research can't challenge conventional wisdom (corporate control of genetic research)
• Mentions dangers of multinational companies continuing to consolidate the food system
• At around 1:10:00, states that world hunger is not about the amount of food (the people starving today used to be farmers themselves)
• Talks about local food, CSAs at the end

• Very heavily focused on issues of GMOs and patents
• Does not focus so much on the future as the title would suggest
• Much more problem-oriented than solution-oriented
• Outdated (7 years old)

Recommendation:

• Some segments may or may not be worth showing to Oxfam supporters
• Would have to update such figures as "800 million malnourished" (to 925 million)
• Not really the most appropriate film for Oxfam events
• Appropriate audience
• Easily understandable for anyone interested in the issues of GMOs and U.S. patents
• Does not align with Oxfam/GROW