“For the first time in American history, our generation was at risk of having a shorter lifespan than our parents. And it was because of what we ate.” —Curt Ellis, KING CORN filmmaker
As a celebration of four years of Community Cinema at the holiday season, we asked our event producers and producing partners to share reflections on past events. Desiree Gutierrez is our ITVS National Community Cinema Coordinator based in the Los Angeles area. Desiree shares her thoughts on how the Community Cinema selection King Corn changed her life.
I think it’s safe to say that most kids in America grow up on a diet of frozen chicken fingers, processed macaroni and cheese, and soda. My childhood was different in that my parents had met in cooking school and operated a catering business. So, I not only grew up working for the family business, but I was also exposed to a variety of food types. In fact, I’ve been cooking since I was five (my first specialty was an egg over easy).
My parents taught me that quality food was about love and care in the preparation. Only recently have I learned that quality food includes knowing a foods source and growing conditions. For the last three years, I have worked as a National Community Cinema Coordinator and in 2008 while organizing events for the film King Corn, I began to learn about the effects of public policy on food and farming in America. While working on King Corn I was simultaneously reading Michael Pollan’s, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” These two pieces of media inspired a food awakening within me. Rather suddenly, my concepts about quality food dramatically shifted.
Corn!
I was trying to make sense of and prioritize such concepts as fresh, local, organic, sustainable, cage free, and grass fed. I also began to learn some startling health facts related to food. For example, I belong to the first generation in history to have a projected life span shorter than my parents. Also, according to a report by the CDC, within a decade 40-45% of school age children will likely have diabetes and be insulin dependent. Many scientists believe these shifts in health are directly related to the shift in the American diet, which is now comprised largely of processed foods derived from subsidized commodities such as corn and soy.
Thanks to King Corn, I am not only eating differently, but I am also seeking to change the policies that impact the quality of food we eat. I am currently volunteering with Mudtown Farms in Watts, CA. Mudtown is the name for a 2.5 acre farm that is being developed in Watts as part of a movement to bring fresh produce into an urban food desert. I will also be starting a Certificate in Sustainability program at UCLA this January and hope to start earning a Masters in Public Policy this Fall.