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“FOOD BEWARE: THE FRENCH ORGANIC REVOLUTION”

Over 50 years have passed since Jacques Cousteau won world-wide acclaim and a Palme d'Or at Cannes for his film The Silent World -- one of the few important environmental films to ever come out of France. If the preservation of the marine world was an invaluable cause, that of sustainable, safe food production and a healthy diet for our children is even more urgent. Now, from director Jean-Paul Jaud comes FOOD BEWARE: THE FRENCH ORGANIC REVOLUTION. For the first time ever, our children are growing up less healthy than their parents. As the rate of cancer, infertility and other illnesses which have been linked to environmental factors climb ever upward each year, we must ask ourselves: why is this happening? What can we do to save our children's health -- and our own?

The problem is hard to address, because it is invisible. Most of our food has been sprayed with pesticides and grown with fertilizers that have contaminated the soil, by industrial food producers that put profits above our health. But is there another way? Can a modern society feed itself without contaminating land and livestock?

FOOD BEWARE follows an experiment in a small village in the mountains of France, where -- in opposition to powerful economic interests -- the town's mayor has decided to make the school lunch menu organic, with much of it grown locally. Featuring interviews with children, parents, teachers, health care workers, journalists, farmers, elected officials, scientists and researchers, we learn about challenges and rewards of their stand -- both the abuses of industry as well as the practical solutions at hand. What will it take to save our health? This moving testament to one community's answer is food for thought, and provides a blueprint for a growing revolution. (review from Amazon.com)

Film in French, with subtitles. Showing at 6:45 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cost $6 for members, $8 for non-members. The Museum recommends arriving 30 minutes before showtime.