A fascinating exploration of the coffee industry and the inequity of global trade, this film centers on the coffee farmers of Ethiopia, “The Birthplace of Coffee,” and particularly on the efforts of Tadesse Meskela, manager of a cooperative union. Meskela is on a mission to circumvent the international trading system and obtain a reasonable price for his farmers, who currently receive about 23 cents for a kilo (the equivalent of 80 cups) of coffee. Due in part to the 1989 collapse of the International Coffee Agreement, the price of coffee has fallen to a 30-year low, and many farmers and their families have been thrust into extreme poverty. Juxtaposed with the plight of African farmers are scenes from the Western world’s absurdly self-indulgent coffee culture, including an international barista competition and the original Starbucks in Seattle, where the manager declares her work with the company to be “the most special thing ever.” While that stark juxtaposition might be a rather obvious filmmaking ploy, it’s nonetheless a compelling study in opposite extremes.
Opens October 6 at Cinema Village
Opens October 6 at Cinema Village
