YNOT at the Movies

Based on Eric Schlosser's book "Fast Food Nation", director Robert Kenner's new documentary "Food, Inc." (USA 2008 | 94 min.) paints a grim picture about what Americans are putting in their mouths. It reveals lots information that food industry definitely does not want consumers to know. In fact, many people probably prefer not to know, because they might go to bed hungry after watching this film.

The film peels away the layers of packaging wrapped around the foods we put on the table. It traces back to the root where the foods are coming from. It illustrates how the foods reach the shelves in grocery stores. It criticizes how the food industry puts profit ahead of public health, environmental impact, and workers' wellbeing. It shows how vulnerable our food resources have become. It predicts disastrous health consequences in the generations to come.

Apparently, the fast moving life style in our modern society has transformed how we eat and what we eat. Not only animals grow faster, consumers also spend less time on preparing food, if they cook at all. When most Americans are not eating at fast food joints, they are probably eating processed food controlled by very few giant multi-national corporations.

If you are familiar with the information presented in this documentary, the film makes you more disturbed and terrified.

If you have not given much thought about what are in the food you put into your mouth everyday, this film is an entertaining and informative eye opener.

If you are on the other side of the fence rooting with the food industry, it is unlikely this film makes you change your mind.

It's pretty clear that the film tells one-sided story, because the filmmakers simply cannot get any interview from major food industry players.

However, even the film is not as balanced as it wants to be, it tells a story that needs to be known by the American public.

We need to buy local and buy organic. We need to eat less meat and more food in their original forms versus processed versions.

We simply need to cook more—food not only will taste better, but also might save our lives instead of killing us.

"Food, Inc." opens on Friday, June 12 at Landmark's Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco.

Special Appearance: Eric Schlosser, co-producer of the film and the author of "Fast Food Nation" will be in person on Saturday, June 13 at 4:50 & 7:30pm screenings.