Dukale’s Dream 2018
Distributed by Passion River Films, 154 Mt. Bethel Rd., Warren, NJ 07059; 732-321-0711
Produced by Jesse Scolaro, Julie Christeas, and Schuyler Weiss
Directed by Josh Victor Rothstein
DVD, color, 70 min.
Middle School - General Adult
Agriculture; Sustainable Development; Africa
Date Entered: 10/26/2018
Reviewed by Kristan Majors, Woodruff Library, Emory UniversityDukale’s Dream provides a view of an Ethiopian coffee farmer’s life along with highlights from an international nonprofit’s efforts to fight poverty in the village. The film and the farmer receive a huge boost by celebrity benefactors, Hugh Jackman and his wife. Jackman narrates the documentary and expresses his frustrations and his personal resolution to help. While there are many excellent documentaries on fair trade from the farmers’ perspectives, including Black Gold and El Cacao: The Challenge of Fair Trade, Dukale’s Dream outshines these more academic, ethnographic documentaries with the photography, pacing, and entertainment.
Considering the ideal audience for this film, I recommend the documentary for university and community film showings, particularly if a panel of speakers provides more context. The first 30-minutes of the documentary can be viewed in classrooms studying the economic and social issues of fair trade cooperatives. The documentary cannot stand alone in a classroom for teaching sustainable development or fair trade, but it can be used to see some of the issues and begin a debate. Therefore, if funds are available, I recommend purchasing this documentary to compliment collections.
Awards
- 2014 Heartland Film Festival Best Premiere