Do you know where your coffee comes from? That is, before some green-aproned barista set it on the counter and called your name. Coffee is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide, but the people growing the coffee beans only see a small fraction of the total dollars going into the coffee business. Black Gold, the debut documentary film by directors Marc and Nick Francis examines the poverty of countries like Ethiopia where coffee growers struggle to make ends meet. The primary focus of the film is an Ethiopian farm cooperative organizer, Tadesse Meskela, who is helping to define the Fair Trade movement in the world of coffee growers. The film itself does a good job at providing an even handed, extremely compelling look at the situation surrounding coffee growers who must choose between accepting all-time low rates for their beans, or replant with narcotics to generate better returns on their efforts. Raising more questions about how to deal with Fair Trade than providing answers to the plight of underpaid farmers, I personally would have preferred a movie that came closer to picking sides, but the fundamental message and depth of coverage make this a documentary that deserves to be seen (especially if you drink coffee). At The Seattle International Film Festival, I talked with Marc and Nick about Fair Trade issues discussed in the film and got a few details directly from Tadesse Meskela, who happened to be in Seattle for a meeting with Starbucks.
LIsten to the interview:
