Film Reviews

Black Gold

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• Details: UK / USA / 78mins (U).

It's short and you'll learn a thing or two - now that's a documentary. Black Gold takes on the plight of Ethiopian farmers, who only get a few cents for every kg of coffee sold, and through Tadasse Meskela, a tireless fighter for a fair price for Ethiopian farmers whose biggest concern is heir children's education, we are taken on one big roundtrip of the voyage of coffee. From the impoverished coffee growers to managers of Seattle Starbucks (who revel in the idea that they "are touching so many lives") to European trade summits and the World Barista Championships, Black Gold attempts to touch every base even though the big roasters like Nestle and Kraft declined to be interviewed. As we pay through the nose for trendy cappuccinos and lattes, some coffee farmers have resorted to growing Chat - an illegal and highly addictive drug - to make ends meet. What is impressive about Black Gold is that directors Nick and Marc Francis, in their debut, take such a relaxed approach. Instead of hammering points home left, right and centre with a righteous voiceover, the documentary makers take a back seat and allow the audience to make up their mind. Although, we are gently persuaded to go with the flow.

Review by Gavin Burke