Oscar-nominated director Robert Kenner joins us to talk about the film and food industries and his film’s runaway success.
Showcasing clips from the movie, we go into the inspiration behind the production, as well as the process of shooting and how the film’s success has spring-boarded Robert into a new realm of being an activist.
Watch new episodes of BYOD live each week on Tuesdays at noon on TheLip.TV, or tune in for the archived replay starting here on the following Thursday.
ABOUT BYOD:
BYOD is co-hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!,” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice, and Vladimir Radovanov, entertainment attorney, and executive producer of “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC.” Each week the show explores a different documentary filmmaker or aspect of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films. Ondi and Vladimir share their insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation. BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and film makers that deserve exposure.
GUEST BIO:
Robert Kenner’s Food, Inc., is one of the top grossing theatrical documentaries of all time, selling nearly 500,000 DVDs. Food Inc. received widespread critical acclaim, including an Academy Award nomination, and has influenced current food policy decisions. An esteemed collaborator with PBS American Experience, he received a Peabody and an Emmy for Two Days in October, in addition to directing The Road To Memphis for the Martin Scorsese series, The Blues.
Mr. Kenner continues to work in film and social media action to transform the food system.
ADD’L LINKS:
http://robertkennerfilms.com/
http://www.FixFood.org/
https://twitter.com/#!/onditimoner
http://www.facebook.com/thelip.tv
http://www.facebook.com/BYODOC
EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:01 BYOD Introduction.
00:23 Food, Inc., Clip: “The Dollar Menu.”
02:46 Subsidizing food that makes us sick, and how cheap food is expensive.
04:49 Food, Inc., Clip: Medication bills and Diabetes.
06:35 Robert’s choices for shooting the family.
08:25 The effects of the film on the family and their community.
09:53 Finding the story as a filmmaker.
11:31 Concerns over taking on the food industry and being sued.
14:31 The national school lunch program–accepting all grades of “food.”
15:01 Describing “pink slime,” and the new chemical based food system.
18:15 Food, Inc., Clip: Barbara Kowalcyk.
23:13 Robert gives more information on the case of the Kowalcyks and food-born illness.
25:31 Keeping the film entertaining while exposing the lie.
27:19 Deciding which areas of the food industry to feature.
27:55 Food, Inc., Clip: Chicken farming.
31:16 Paying the cost for talking to Food, Inc, and a whole other species of chicken.
33:27 Upgrading farms into factory standards.
34:35 FixFood and going from filmmaker to activist.
38:19 Ten films inside one issue and being free from knowledge.
40:45 Fewer farmers than ever and the subsidized market.
43:11 Food, Inc., Clip: Farmer Joel and the debate for centralized oversight.
47:06 The new film industry about the food industry.
47:44 How did the film find an audience, DVD sales and support from Oprah.
50:26 The Daily Dig Down.
55:22 Parting words from Robert.
