San Francisco sceening of Bitter Seeds - A documentary
Why are Indian farmers killing themselves in record numbers?
Screening and discussion.
Meet the director, Micha X. Peled
Bitter Seeds (2011), 88min
Bitter Seeds is a vibrant investigation of the predicament of central Indian cotton farmers, caught up in a vicious cycle courtesy of Monsanto's genetically modified seeds. Refused loans by the banks, the farmers borrow from illegal moneylenders at exorbitant interest and inevitably fall into irredeemable debt, further aggravated by low yields and a need for more fertilizer and water.
For the most desperate, the way out is suicide by drinking pesticide—such deaths now number over 250,000.
The tiny miracle in this seemingly hopeless globalization tragedy is the daughter of one such suicide victim. Eighteen-year-old Manjusha yearns to be a journalist to expose the reasons for the suicides, but she has is up against family objections and village traditions. The young heroine fights on the frontline of this global human and environmental crisis, driven by a desire to voice the perspective and preserve the dignity of the powerless.
Bitter Seeds Trailer by teddybearfilms
For more background read Food First's Development Report, A Bitter Harvest.
Sign up for this event here. Please share this link with Bay Area friends who missed the earlier event with the director and our executive director which was widely praised by those attending.
The Roxie Theatre charges $10.
Food First is co-sponsoring this event.
