Simply amazing. If I could, I'd give it 11 stars out of 10.
I saw the trailers and teasers for this movie and I thought it looked pretty good. But when I saw the actual film I was blown away. It completely exceeded even my most optimistic expectations.
It is bold and it is courageous. The NZ dairy industry is huge and powerful. Some people might even imagine it to be untouchable.
But Aotearoa's largest exporter comes with some major inherent problems, and this movie isn't afraid to dive right in and ask the hard questions. It pulls very few, if any, punches.
Although the movie's primary focus is the NZ dairy industry, in a broader more general sense it also leans into some much wider, and very serious environmental issues.
It also investigates our food system in general and touches on some pressing concerns regarding human health and well-being which relate to the food we consume.
Finally, it also explores some important issues related to veganism, plant-based diets, and animal rights.
It asks the question, that with the rise of so many plant based alternatives coming on-stream now, are the animal industries becoming obsolete? And if so, what does that mean for our farmers?
As a Kiwi myself, this is the movie I have been wishing someone would make for years. That is to say, a film which explores all of these issues from an New Zealand-centred perspective, yet one which is also relevant to the rest of the world.
Someone has finally made it, and it is simply brilliant.
It is very well shot, and includes some quite outstanding camera work. Many of the sequences must have been very hard to get, but they got them.
The editing is excellent, and the animations and graphics are wonderful additions to the film. They make some of the more complex concepts and facts far more accessible and easy to understand.
The music and soundtrack are excellent, and most of the people they interview are of a high calibre, sharing personal perspectives which are compelling yet relatable.
It is definitely not an 'anti-farmer' movie. The film makes it clear that the farmers are just a part of a much bigger and very problematic system. We are shown that in some ways the farmers themselves are victims of the whole gigantic mess that is modern animal agriculture.
I highly recommend this movie. I would love every Kiwi to see it. I think it has relevance to many other countries too. Especially those nations for which farming is a major part of their economy.
This documentary has the potential to help generate and/or amplify some very critical and urgent conversations. Yet it does all that in an accessible yet powerful way.
Did I mention that if I could, I'd give it 11 stars out of 10? Because I absolutely would!
