New to VOD this week:
10 BILLION: WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
Director:
Valentin Thurn
Premiere:
German theatrical release (2015)
Select Festivals:
IDFA, CPH:DOX, Santa Barbara, Minneapolis-St Paul, EBS Doc, Docs Against Gravity, Vilnius, One World, Docville
About:
An exploration of the demands made on modern agriculture to feed an expanding population.
The film’s titular number is the expected population of the planet by the year 2050, an increase that seems likely to lead to food shortages and conflict over resources. In an attempt to make sense of what can be done to mitigate this potential global catastrophe, filmmaker Valentin Thurn – who also awkwardly narrates this project – conducts a survey of present day food production around the world, from the promises or pitfalls of GMOs, artificial fertilizers, and faux meat development to organic farming and community supported agriculture. Taking a methodical and informative approach, if not a particularly revelatory one, the well-meaning film addresses the familiar issues that come into play, including the need for sustainability, the importance of local farming, the harsh realities of land use conflict, and the dangers of corporate control of resources.
what (not) to doc 