The Revue offered a
free screening of the documentary entitled “Semisweet: Life in
Chocolate”. I am very
thankful that this documentary was free because the complimentary
chocolate at the door (supplied by The Chocolateria) was the only redeeming
quality of the event. I should have taken the unspoken advice of the
man who filled a napkin with free chocolate chips and bolted for the
door!
“Semisweet: Life in
Chocolate”, a supposed documentary, did not offer a singular
statement regarding the state of chocolate in the world. The director
claimed that the inclusion of four separate segments of the chocolate
industry were included in an attempt to avoid leaving the viewer with
an overwhelmingly negative feeling. A crazy, but wonderfully
articulate French man highlighted the artistic nature of chocolate.
He was the only person who was able to properly place the importance
of chocolate in the world as he stated that a 500 year old tree
should not be destroyed in order to make way for cocoa plantations. A
highly sexualized couple living in British Columbia, who owned a
small raw chocolate business, was meant to illustrate the small,
independent chocolate industry. However, due to their inability to
articulately express the health benefits of raw chocolate and in the
opening of a chocolate factory they remain another cog in the
corporate wheel of chocolate. Additionally, the audience found this
couple highly amusing, which was unintended by the director of this
documentary.
The next section was
meant to illustrate the corporate greed embodied in Hershey, PA but
in focusing on a young, inarticulate man who worked in the town
further alienated the audience. The final part of the documentary was
a series of interviews with African children who worked for cocoa
plantations. I found this approach to be an interesting way to cover
the issue, but realistically there was probably little other choice
due to financial issues and issues of reach for the director. The
documentary ended with direct questions to the children, asking if
they knew what cocoa was for. This was condescending to the audience
as anyone who has a base level of knowledge of the cocoa trade would
know that African children are unlikely to have tasted chocolate. It
was also highly condescending to the children involved.
The movie, a supposed
documentary, did not offer a singular statement regarding the issues
surrounding the chocolate trade and should be avoided at all costs,
expect, of course, if they are handing out complimentary chocolate!
