Our Daily Poison 2011
Distributed by Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by ARTE France
Directed by Marie-Monique Robin
DVD, color, 111 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
Agriculture, Environmental Studies, Health Sciences, International
Date Entered: 02/16/2012
Reviewed by Scott S. Richmond, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Daniel A. Reed Library, State University of New York at FredoniaIn this feature length documentary, writer and director, Marie-Monique Robin addresses issues first proposed in a 1964 French documentary, Bread and Wine in the Year 2000, regarding the introduction of pesticides, food additives and plastics during the industrialization of agriculture after World War II and the effects on the health and well-being of the human body. Robin provides information regarding these issues through a superb blend of archival footage and documentation, as well as personal and expert interviews. This documentary is separated into seven distinct chapters dealing with specific but interrelated issues: Sick Farmers (Pesticides); The Acceptable Daily Intake (Pesticides); Maximum Residue Levels (Pesticides); Aspartame (Food Additives); Endocrine Disrupters (Plastics); The Cocktail Effect (Pesticides, Food Additives and Plastics) and Cancer and Nutrition (Pesticides, Food Additives and Plastics). It offers a fascinating and somewhat horrifying look at the production of food across the globe as it makes its way from farmers’ fields to our plates. The cinematography and sound quality are excellent. Our Daily Poison would make a great addition to any library, public or academic, or classroom collection.