Food has become America's brightest star this year, progressing from having its own TV network to the big screen in movies like Food, Inc. and The End of the Line. These horror shows have done a huge service in educating people about the unsustainable practices that are today's norm in food production, and this kind of shock journalism is surely a necessary part of consciousness-raising. At the same time, it's really nice to also hear about what people are doing right and Fresh is the food flick that tells that side of the story.

Filmmaker Ana Joanes says she decided to make the movie as a way to regain a sense of agency around the global warming crisis. When she first began conceptualizing the documentary, she imagined making something that would scare the bejeezus out of people in the hope that once we saw where we were headed, we would have a the good sense to change our course. Instead, she found herself inspired by the many people who were already living sustainably and were themselves being nourished by raising food with mindfulness and integrity.

These farmers were already powerful agents in their own lives and their growing numbers point to the possibility that as a people, we are changing course, one person, one choice at a time. Joanes was inspired by the way individuals everywhere are making their own way, refusing to be defined by the current agribiz model and instead finding ways to be true to themselves and their ideals.

While it may be true that we are threatened, we are not helpless. This is the story that Fresh tells, that individuals make a difference, that you can be one of those who imbue your life with meaning by choosing wisely and mindfully, and that doing so is a sacred trust.
 
Fresh has a distribution model that parallels its vision. It's available to be screened from the bottom-up. That is, anyone can purchase the DVD and a license to screen the movie to viewers, whether at home or in a larger setting, such as Sevananda, the community grocery and coop, where Atlantans can see it this Friday, August 7.
 
If you plan to attend, please RSVP through this page of the Fresh web site. The event is sponsored by Evolver and donations will go to Georgia Organics.