PRESS - BLACK GOLD SHOWING - HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY

Black Gold
Capsule by J.R. Jones

Harold Washington Library Center
400 S. State, Chicago
Lower level (Cindy Pritzker Auditorium)
312-747-4050

From the Chicago Reader
If that $2 cup of Starbucks didn't jolt you awake, this documentary by Marc and Nick Francis might do the trick: zigzagging from the bright coffee parlors of the West to the dirt-poor coffee farms of Ethiopia, it dramatically objectifies the unfair trade practices that help keep Africa mired in poverty. Its central figure is Tadesse Meskela, manager of a farmers' cooperative, who travels the world trying to negotiate fair prices for his members and explain to Westerners where most of their coffee dollar is going--into the pockets of commodities traders, Kraft, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, and Sara Lee. None of these middlemen granted interviews, which only adds to the movie's stark contrasts and prevents it from giving a clear picture of the world coffee economy. But it makes a persuasive argument that fair trade practices would benefit Africa far more than emergency relief aid. 78 min. A panel discussion will follow the screening.


Screening takes place on Tuesday, March 27, 6:30 pm