Terra Madre

I just saw an excellent film last night: "Terra Madre" by Italian director Ermanno Olmi. Terra Madre (Mother Earth) is a biennial multi-language conference hosted in Torino by the Slow Food Organization - a network of food communities, each committed to producing quality food in a responsible, sustainable way. They aim to foster discussion and innovation in the related fields of gastronomy and ecology and global economics.

This film starts out like a documentary of the 2008 Terra Madre conference in Torino, presenting stimulating views on the importance of bio-diversity, and working in harmony with nature. Ermanno Olmi builds masterfully on his theme, confronting the fate of the planet.. The film then gloriously metamorphoses into a beautiful and poetic slow experience of food cultivation in harmony with nature.

An unforgettable and thought provoking experience: this film seems to move beyond the normal boundaries of the documentary format. I, for one, will not forget its message, nor its beautiful imagery.

It is heartening to be reminded that there are dedicated people out there working for Planet Earth and against the evil forces of Monsanto and their global capitalist cronies. The central messages of simplicity, back to the earth, less is more, and of growing our food in harmony with nature, should inspire all of us.