‘Black Gold’ is film about the production of coffee in Ethiopia which is the known to be birthplace of coffee. It focuses on the plight of the Ethiopian workers who spend endless days and nights harvesting a crop that is their only source of income. The coffee industry is a multi billion industry that has seen the GDPs of International countries rise as the major exporters of this treasured commodity continue to remain impoverished (‘Black Gold’).
My take on the movie
With America being the country that consumes the most coffee in the world .This movie was an eye opener for the way the role of the government in their quest to achieve fair trade. Each time I chose my favorite brand of coffee al I thought of was the how I was going to take it, be it latte or my favorite type of coffee which cappuccino as I watched television in bed .With the revelations that the movie ‘Black Gold ’brought, all I can think about right now is the number of helpless underappreciated people who are exploited in order for me to take one sip.
The Movie ‘Black Gold’ catches ones attention in that the title indicates that the product which is coffee is a very important resource of export for the Ethiopian economy. The fact that it is the most important export for the country shows that they put allot of effort to ensure that the coffee they produce meets the standards of the importers who have high demands.
Main issues discussed in the video
The main issues that the directors of the film intended to bring out was the fact that the farmers along with the whole of the country are reliant on coffee which is one of their main sources of income and means of survival. It shows the irony in that instead of the people gaining from the trade they undergo an immense number of hustles which are brought about by the international and local authorities (‘Black Gold’).
The international community plays a big part in the exploitation of the farmer. Despite the fact that coffee is an Ethiopian export ,they pull all the strings and control all the major aspects of its production .Another problem is the availability of the middlemen who take up the little profit the farmer would have made due to their unrealistic prices. The saddest issue that the film brings is the Selfishness of the government who are not consistent in the providing help for their people .The government have play a small role in helping the farmers .They let the international communities determine the prices of coffee and enhance the prevalence of corruption .They do not step in to help the farmers take care of major costs such as the production cost of the coffee (‘Black Gold’).
Role of the in International bodies in the determination of fair trade
The international bodies play a major role in the determination of the prices and the effectiveness of fair trade amongst the people involved .Their role consists of ensuring that the main producers of a product in this case coffee, get fair treatment for their effort. Fair trade is a process that can be associated with both business and politics .In order for a community to get fair treatment they need to have international bodies in place that can look to their needs and provide guidance .For fair trade to be achieved the international communities should be at the fore front of eliminating the middlemen who take advantage of helpless farmers .They should also have a say in the determination of the prices so that all parties can gain form the trade. The international communities should work alongside the governments and the importers to ensure that the farmers are not producing their produce in vein.
Do you agree with this criticism?
Although the movie revealed most of the injustices that the coffee plantation owners go through it has faced an immense amount of criticism for not displaying all the facts that were needed for the message to come across. I do not agree with the criticism of other critics .The directing of this movie bought out the facts that the viewer needed to be aware of .One of the highlighted facts was that the profits of the coffee farmers had dropped to a thirty year low from the time of the beginning of its exportation .The directors brought out the fact that most of the prices were determined in the big financial playgrounds like New York and London while the farmers sit and wait for their fate to be determined .As the farmers continued to remain impoverished the companies such as Nestle and Proctor and Gable continue to record profits that have tripled to about 80 billion a year .These major facts brought out by the movie stimulates the viewer to think critically about the exploitation of impoverished countries by multinational companies . By putting these companies on the spotlight the director created awareness of the plight of the farmers who initially had no voice.
What are the scenes that show the film's effectiveness?
The scenes that show the films effectiveness can be shown when the they show the process of the farmers growing coffee, roasting the coffee and selling it .This scene illustrates the amount of care that the product needs in order for it to be accepted as a high quality product. We also see the level of exploitation when we are shown the facts about the sale of coffee. It shows the sadness of the farmers in that one single cup of coffee sales for 25 five times the amount a farmer gets for its production.
One of the most important scenes is seen when the main character of the film sets out to fight for the plight of his fellow people .Tadesse Meskella who was the manager of the Oromo coffee farmers union represents up to 70 thousand farmers in this area and his main goal is to maximize on their profit of the farmers .This proves to be a hard task because of the availability of the middlemen who are represented by a large chain exploit the farmers preventing them from making the profits they deserve .We see that the farmers do not even make enough to cover for the expenses they put in to manufacture the product (‘Black Gold’).
Briefly what do you think of the film (video) in general?
In general the film showed clear and precise facts that affect the farmers .It did not beat around the bush and got to the point on most of the issues. The importance of the film was to show the level of exploitation the farmers go through in the hands of the international and local authorities. It also shows the irony in the pricing of coffee industry in that large companies such as Starbucks make an incredible amount of profit in their sale of coffee to their customers. This trade has become one of the most thriving businesses in the Western world at the expense of the farmers who have no other way out but to succumb to the exploitation by the people in authority so that they make as basic living that does not provide for all their needs.
This comparison brings out the major plight of the farmers who demand fair determination of prices that reflect the amount of time they put in the production of the product.
Conclusion
The coffee industry has been present for a long time and can be recorded as one of the oldest exports in the world. Coffee is the major export for Ethiopia which is highly reliant on the product .This has been a blessing for the country but it can also be seen as bitter sweet .As big players in the industry continue to record incredible amounts of profits, the country continues to remain one of the poorest countries in the world .The making of this film by the Francis brothers brings out the amount of injustices that the farmers experience. It also shows their attempt to fight back though the existence of trade unions .The role of the film industry can therefore be seen in the making of such movies that create awareness about situations that would have otherwise been ignored.
Works Cited
Mark Fransis, Nick Fransis. Dir. Perf. Tadesse Meskella, California. Newsreel ,2006.DVD.
