Independent Lens (2006)
87%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Black Gold is a documentary that delves into the coffee industry and the struggles of coffee farmers in Ethiopia. While the film highlights the admirable initiatives of Tadesse Meskela and the fair trade movement, it fails to provide a comprehensive solution to the systemic issues that plague the industry. Despite this, the Francis brothers maintain a lively pace and a satirical mood that keeps the audience engaged. The film is attractively shot, thoughtfully edited, and provocatively argued, making it a worthy look at an exploitation that really shouldn’t exist in this day and age. Black Gold will hopefully shock audiences into looking for the Fairtrade symbol next time they’re in the supermarket, or at the very least, make them think twice before downing their next cup of joe.
Black Gold is a documentary that will make you think twice before ordering your next cup of coffee. While it may not be the newest story around, it still manages to be an arresting and thought-provoking film. The Francis brothers maintain a lively pace and a satirical mood, making it an enjoyable watch despite the heavy subject matter. Plus, it might just have you turning its issues over in your mind late into the night – or is that just the effect of so much coffee? Either way, it’s a worthy look at an exploitation that really shouldn’t exist in this day and age.
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
Distributor
California Newsreel
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:1.33 : 116:9 HD
-
Runtime:1h 17m
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2006 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 9, 2007
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Black Gold, documentary, coffee trade, Ethiopia, fair trade, Tadesse Meskela, Marc Francis, Nick Francis, Jen Kaczor, Sally Jo Fifer, Christopher Hird, English, California Newsreel, box office, budget, critic reviews, producer names, MPAA rating, foreign exports, farmers, coffee roasters, poverty, negotiation, exploitation, middleman, multinationals, Kraft, Nestle, Proctor & Gamble, Sara Lee, World Trade Organization, education, baristas, Seattle, harvest, brewing, drinking, talking heads, narrative, tangents, argument, production, comparison
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Marc Francis – Director, Writer
Nick Francis – Director
Jen Kaczor – Producer
Sally Jo Fifer – Executive Producer
Christopher Hird – Executive Producer
Director(s)
Marc Francis, Nick Francis
Writer(s)
Marc Francis
Producer(s)
Jen Kaczor, Nick Francis, Marc Francis
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (8)
While the film is quick to posit fair trade as a solution, it fails to answer why, even with Meskela’s admirable initiatives, his coffee farmers still struggle to buy shoes.
June 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Wendy Ide
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
If you don’t buy Fair Trade coffee after this you never will.
June 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Anthony Quinn
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
True, fair trade coffee is not the newest story around, but Black Gold still makes for arresting viewing.
June 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
David Mattin
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
While it may prompt some to think again next time they’re in Starbucks, this astute insight into the coffee business is better at lauding the good guys than taking the multinationals to task for the iniquities of the global economy.
June 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
If that $2 cup of Starbucks didn’t jolt you awake, this documentary by Marc and Nick Francis might do the trick.
January 12, 2007
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Black Gold moves at an inexorable pace, painstakingly building a case until suddenly it looms very large and casts an even longer shadow.
January 11, 2007 | Rating: 4.5/5
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
February 23, 2012 | Rating: 2/5
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
December 7, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jennie Kermode
Eye for Film
It is attractively shot, thoughtfully edited, provocatively argued, and might just have you turning its issues over in your mind late into the night – or is that just the effect of so much coffee?
June 12, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Anton Bitel
musicOMH.com
A worthy look at an exploitation that really shouldn’t exist in this day and age, Black Gold will hopefully shock audiences into looking for the Fairtrade symbol next time they’re in the supermarket.
June 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Laura Bushell
Film4
The Francis brothers maintain a lively pace and a satirical mood.
March 1, 2007
Maria Garcia
Film Journal International
An important and timely film that may make you think twice before downing your next cup of joe.
January 13, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Timothy Knight
Reel.com…
Plot
Black Gold is a documentary about the struggles of coffee farmers in Ethiopia and their fight for fair wages in the global coffee trade.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Black Gold.
Marc-Francis.jpg
