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'Farmland' aims to inform about food sources, but much of the movie is dry

( Unrated ) ( Monitor Movie Guide )

'Farmland,' a documentary directed by James Moll, attempts to dispel some of the ignorance of where our food comes from.

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Allentown Productions
Cattle rancher Brad Bellah is one of the farmers featured in James Moll’s 'Farmland.'
  • By Peter Rainer Film critic

Most of us eat our food without really knowing where it comes from. The documentary “Farmland” aims to dispel some of the ignorance. Director James Moll offers up a bevy of talking heads: Six farmers and ranchers, all in their 20s, from places ranging from Colorado to Texas to California.

One young man, Brad Bellah, is a sixth-generation cattle rancher. By contrast, Sutton Morgan, a fourth-generation farmer, is the first person in his family to grow organic crops. Moll touches on controversies about the rise in GMOs (genetically modified organisms), the use of pesticides, and the decline of family farming in the era of Big Agriculture. Some of the human-interest stories are compelling, but too much of this film is as dry as a high school classroom presentation. Grade: B- (Unrated.)

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