film Grapes and seeds
Food documentaries worth biting into by Michael J. Casey
T
he inaugural A Taste of Art: Boulder’s Art and Food Festival at The Dairy Center for the Arts includes several interesting documentaries. Here are BW’s picks for the tastiest viewing. A wine tasting from Hazel’s Wine Bar will follow the screening of A Year in Burgundy on June 13th and a Q&A with the director of Open Sesame will follow the screening on June 12th. Tickets and more information at thedairy.org.
A scene from Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds.
‘A YEAR IN BURGUNDY’ According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2012, 35 percent of Americans picked wine as their beverage of choice over beer and liquor. Each year, wine consumption continues to increase and more Americans are savvier wine drinkers. Yet, so many questions still surround wine. How is wine made? What is a good vintage? Why does that bottle cost so much? What in the world does terroir, bouquet, aroma, body, finish and tannins actually mean? Filmmaker David Kennard asks a simpler question:
“Where does really great wine come from?” The answer Kennard comes up with is right there in the title of his latest documentary, A Year in Burgundy. Kennard, who writes, produces and directs, provides a crash-course in winemaking by following seven families through one entire year of winemaking. Each of these families has been making wine for many generations and their knowledge and technique has been handed down through hundreds of years of tradition. Kennard documents the 2011 seasons in spring with planting and bud-break and charts the prog-
AI WEIWEI: THE FAKE CASE
Based on a story by Dostoyevsky, Jesse Eisenberg plays a timid, isolated man who’s overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams. The arrival of a new co-worker, his exact physical double and his opposite (also played by Eisenberg) causes problems, as the confident and charismatic doppelgänger slowly starts taking over his life. This is absurdist comedy with a sharp edge. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater 42 June 12, 2014
seeds that are under siege from the giant corporation Monsanto and their genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. In 1982, Monsanto planted its first GMO, and since they have very successfully sold their product everywhere they can, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimating that 94 percent of soy and 88 percent of corn in the U.S. is GMO. Seeds play a more integral part to our diet than one might think. According to a statistic from the documentary, upwards of 90 percent of our caloric intake is from seeds, both directly and indirectly. No wonder Monsanto wants to get in on that racket. No wonder these people are pissed off. Watching this movie, you might wonder, ‘Why aren’t more?’ Instead of organic patents and corporations, the farmers of Open Sesame want an open source movement based on the success of open source software that enforces sharing over monopolization. Each person holding themselves accountable and taking matters into their own hands can achieve this. Open Sesame remains optimistic that someday, David will slay Goliath. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
NOW, FORAGER Gary Susman summed it up: “It was a musical with a borrowed score, based on a stage play its author had failed to sell, with a leading man past his prime and a leading lady, 30 years younger, who had a thin singing voice. Indeed, when released in 1957, it was not a hit, but now regarded as a visually sumptuous classic, with Fred Astaire dancing with impossible grace at 58 and Audrey Hepburn in one of her most stylish, iconic performances.” At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
THE CURSE OF THE GOTHIC SYMPHONY
THE DOUBLE
‘OPEN SESAME: THE STORY OF SEEDS’ Documentarian M. Sean Kaminsky follows organic farmers and seed archivists from Canada, Indian and the U.S. as they try to keep the knowledge and diversity of seed culture alive. These farmers and educators know that now is the time to step in and protect the
FUNNY FACE
Following on the startling Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, this documentary reflects the artist’s battle against the lawsuit thrust upon him by the Chinese government in an effort to silence him. After 81 days of solitary detention, under house arrest with 18 cameras monitoring his studio and home, police agents following his every move, he is shaken, but still finds new ways to provoke and challenge authorities. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater A group of brave and committed musicians take on an 80-year curse in an attempt to stage one of the longest, largest and most technically difficult symphonies ever composed. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
ress from growing to picking, crush to ferment, barrel age and cellaring to finally pruning the vines in the foggy and smoky winter in preparation of the next spring. Although the narration and sober piano that accompanies the soundtrack can get overbearing at times, Kennard seeks to educate his audience as best he can in the many steps involved with winemaking. It is far more complex than simply growing grapes. Winemaking takes an unbelievable amount of toil and attention and Kennard lovingly documents the work. Burgundy wine is pricey to begin with and can get ridiculously expensive, but once you see the steps involved, it doesn’t seem as ridiculous.
Lucien and Regina are foragers, gathering wild mushrooms in the woodlands of New Jersey and selling them to restaurants. Their lifestyle is simple, their income unstable. They also share a Basque heritage and love of traditional recipes. When Regina seeks a more stable lifestyle, their bonds are tested. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater OPEN SESAME: THE STORY OF SEEDS See review above. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater
LE WEEK-END
SCIENCE ON SCREEN: JAELYN EBERLE AND ICE AGE
This is a bittersweet film. Two academics whose love life is about as exciting as their careers, which are about as exciting as paint drying, decide it’s time to relight the fire. They head to Paris, where they once honeymooned, in their effort to find what has been lost. Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan star as the central couple and are amazing. Jeff Goldblum has a supporting role and is equally up to the task as an old friend from college who just happens to be in Paris at the same time. The dialogue is masterful and drives the film from beginning to end. Le Week-End is emotionally rich and, when at its best, hysterical. At Boedecker.
Curator of fossil vertebrates at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and an associate professor in geological sciences at CU-Boulder, Jaelyn Eberle’s research focuses on the study of mammalian faunas during past intervals of climate change. Ice Age is the animated story of an unlikely band of mammals who embark on a bit of heroism while trying to adapt to drastic cold weather. Voiced by an all-star cast, this family-friendly fun has spawned a wildly successful franchise. At Boedecker. — Boedecker Theater A YEAR IN BURGANDY See review above. At Boedecker. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com Boulder Weekly