World of Film International Festival

Menu

Skip to content
  • PROFILE
    • FESTIVAL
    • TICKETS
    • BOOK YOUR TRIP TO WoFF
    • VOLUNTEER WITH WoFF
    • JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    • JURY 2020
    • AWARDS 2020
  • SUBMISSIONS 2021
  • CINESCAPES
  • EVENTS
    • EuropeNow 2021: March For Dignity | 8 April | 7 pm
  • PARTNERS
  • PRESS
  • ARCHIVES
    • WoFF 2020
      • Thursday 8.10
        • Shorts Competition 1 | 2 pm
        • Shorts Competition 2 | 4.30 pm
        • European Film Academy Shorts 1 | 7 pm
        • The Woman Who Ran | Opening Film | 7 pm
      • Friday 9.10
        • Shorts Competition 3 | 12 pm
        • Female Perspective Shorts 1 | 2.30 pm
        • This Is Where I Meet You | Female Perspective Competition | 5 pm
        • European Film Academy Shorts 2 | 7 pm
        • 15 Years | First Feature Competition | 9 pm
      • Saturday 10.10
        • Animation Day in Glasgow: Third Edition | All Day
        • Shorts Competition 4 | 12 pm
        • The Donbass Children | Balkan Cinema Competition | 4 pm
        • Rotten Ears | First Feature Competition | 6 pm
        • Female Perspective Shorts 2 | 7.30 pm
      • Sunday 11.10
        • Mezquite’s Heart | Female Perspective Competition | 12 PM
        • Female Perspective Shorts 3 | 1.30 pm
        • Shorts Competition 5 | 4 pm
        • Focus on Balkan Cinema: Short Films | 6.30 pm
        • A Picture with Yuki | Balkan Cinema Competition | 8 pm
    • WoFF 2019
      • AWARDS 2019
      • WoFF 2019: Opening Night
      • Dream State
      • Short Films Competition: Part 1
      • Animated Women UK: Panel discussion
      • Virgin Money Lounge Programme
      • World Animation
      • Balkan Focus: Shorts
      • Female Perspective Shorts: Part 1
      • A Moon For My Father
      • Queen of The F***Ing World: Performance
      • Family Animation (All ages)
      • Short Films Competition: Part 2
      • Stories of Women in Film: Panel Discussion
      • Pitch Session: Ideas from Script to Screen
      • Female Perspective Shorts: Part 2
      • Breathe
    • FESTIVAL 2018
      • Sgt Stubby: National Cinema Day Family Screening (Animation)
      • Pre-Fest Party + International Shorts Screening @ Nice N Sleazy’s (FREE)
      • Opening Film: A Balkan Noir | 4 Oct | 7 pm
      • Special Screening – Musical: The Island Of Doctor Moron
      • Clay Pit | 5.10 | 6.30 pm
      • Shorts Competition | 5.10 | 8.15 pm
      • Animation Day: VR Experiences
      • Animation Day: UK animation screening | 6.10 | 12 pm
      • Animation Day: International Shorts | 6.10 | 1.15 pm
      • Animation Workshop with Sharon Sorensen | 6.10 | 2.30 pm
      • Shorts Competition 2 | 6.10 | 6.15 pm
      • Hermanos | 6.10 | 8 pm
      • The Best Of All Worlds | 7.10 | 1 pm
      • Panel Discussion: The Female Perspective – Stories of Women in Film
      • Female Perspective Shorts | 7.10 | 5 pm
      • Gregoire | 7.10 | 7.30 pm
    • FESTIVAL 2017
      • Invisible: WoFF 2017 Opening Film
      • Friday, September 29
        • Project Papa
        • Paris 5:59 (Theo & Hugo)
      • Saturday, September 30
        • Short Films
        • Short Film: Female Perspective
        • Short Films: Free Charity Event
      • Sunday, October 1
        • Women’s Tales: Panel discussion
        • Junod: Japanese Animation
        • Brexitannia (+ Damned Dolls: Short Film)
        • Closing Screening: Vergot
      • AWARDS 2017
      • JURY 2017
    • EuropeNow Festival 2017
      • July 12 Schedule
        • Short Films: Western Promises
        • Brexitannia
      • July 13 Schedule
        • Short Films: Antiphysis
        • The islands and the whales
      • July 14 Schedule
        • Four Passports
        • Sin + Illy Still Alive
      • Brexitannia to open EuropeNow Fest
    • Festival 2016
      • Opening Ceremony & Screening
      • Friday 30.09
        • Uncle Tony, Three Fools and the Secret Service + Immortalising memories
        • Shorts #1: Visions
        • Shorts #2: Connexions
        • Get Happy
        • Shorts #3: Journeys
      • Saturday 1.10
        • Tierra Caliente + The Land of Exodus
        • The Gift
        • Capsule
      • Sunday 2.10
        • Shorts #4: Brave
        • ‘FREE EVENT’ Animation Screening: Short Films
        • Sin & Illy Still Alive + Shorts Selection
        • Closing: Awards & Screening
      • Film Journalism Workshop with NISI MASA @ WoFF 2016
      • AWARDS 2016
    • FESTIVAL 2015
      • PROGRAMME
        • Opening Night
        • 2 October
          • Shorts Programme: Memory
          • Shorts Programme: The Hyperphysical
          • Short Films Programme: Laugh attack
          • The First Summer
          • Shorts Programme: Age of Oblivion
        • 3 October
          • Oblivion Season
          • Theatre: Life is Shrinking
          • Theatre: Losing Games
          • Shorts Programme: It’s rights o’clock
          • Camera/Woman & On the Edge: A tribute to Moroccan cinema
          • Shorts Programme: European Short Pitch
          • Silent Sea
        • 4 October
          • Animation Shorts Programme
          • Theatre: Life is Shrinking
          • Theatre: Losing Games
          • How To Stop A Wedding
          • Shorts Programme: Through The Art
          • Short Films Programme: Women of the world
  • CONTACT US

REVIEW: Nothing Like Chocolate

Review by Frida Runnkvist

Most people would agree that chocolate is delicious. What is not quite as appetizing is the fact that many major manufacturers buy their cocoa from farms where children are sold into slavery. As a response to this, Kum-Kum Bhavnani made ‘Nothing Like Chocolate’ in hopes that it will make a stepping-stone towards an ethical, organic chocolate industry. It addresses issues of the unfair chocolate trade, but primarily functions as a portrait of the late Mott Green: co-founder of the ethical, organic Grenada Chocolate Company.

Susan Sarandon narrates this documentary, which mixes archival footage with interviews with independent chocolatiers, big manufacturers, the Grenadian Prime Minister and more. It also follows Mott and a small selection of farmers in their day-to-day lives, discussing their ideologies, love of chocolate and the exploitive landscape of the industry that has widened the already existing gap between farmers and manufacturers. The quantity of information gathered is impressive but it also results in a lack of focus. Instead of digging deep into a topic, the film only scratches the surface of numerous ones. Mott remains the centre, but it is quite enough to spark the reaction that the filmmakers seem to be seeking.

Mott is an idealist, wanting to be a part of every aspect of the production – even sail it across the sea in an environment-friendly manner. He also wants to give local farmers a voice and even though the aim of the film comes across as somewhat vague, this is where it excels. Without being intrusive, the camera tracks Mott and the farmers as they source their land and go through their daily activities. The documentary also touches on topics like loneliness, love and ambitions as Mott remembers his recently deceased partner Doug, or entertains the possibility of starting a family in Grenada, which give it more of an intimate and genuine tone and makes it moving.

While Bhavnani makes a moving portrait of Mott, few of the people who are responsible for this destructive work ethic are being questioned thoroughly. Consequently people like Gary Guittard: CEO of “Guittard Chocolate” get away far to easily. He is one of many who buy cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast because it tastes better – knowing that it is likely that child slaves have picked them. When questioned about it, he simply states that he purchases cocoa for the Ivory Coast because of the taste, and that is that. The film misses an opportunity to put these mass-manufacturers to the wall, which is what you expect when the film begins by explaining how morally corrupt a great part of the chocolate industry is.

The fact that Green is at the centre that is the sole problem, but Bhavnani should have made it very clear from the start that this is going to be the focus of the film, and not the socio-political situation in Grenade and the Ivory Coast. It is a moving and well-crafted portrait of the activist chocolatier, who tragically died in 2013, but it is not the documentary I believed that I would be watching when it first started.

Widgets

WoFF

  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Website Powered by WordPress.com.