I’ve just reviewed the new movie Fresh from Director Ana Sofia Joanes. You can read that review here. Ana was introduced to me through my good friend Brendan, and Ana gratiously allowed me to interview her, despite the fact that she’ll be running all over the country in the next few months, screening her film for audiences all over the country. You can see the schedule at the website for the film. Below are the results of our interview. I’d like to take a moment to thank Ana Sofia for her participation, her time, and her beautiful work on the film. It really was a brilliant piece of work.

Where did the idea for the movie come from? Who is the creative lead?

I first started thinking about making Fresh after reading a three-part article in the New Yorker about global warming four years ago. I had been avoiding reading the series, the way I try really hard to ignore the news. I figured I knew about global warming, and didn’t want to feel scared and guilty about how little I did to combat it, or how much I contributed to the problem. The article’s dire exposé of the complexity and extent of the problems we’re facing left me feeling, like so much of the news, a powerless and hopeless observer, watching the world spiraling towards its inevitable destruction. And helplessness, for me at least, (almost always) translates into inaction.
So I embarked on the making of Fresh to recapture a sense of agency, a belief that my individual actions do in fact matter. Initially, I intended to document the urgency of the global warming crisis, hoping to scare others and myself into action. Instead, I encountered the most inspiring people, ideas, and initiatives. Who knew that we already had the solutions to so many of our problems, and that some of us were already hard at work implementing them? Instead of the despair and inaction unwittingly fostered by the media, these examples of change suggested a very different perspective, that life is an indivisible network in which every node is critical, that each one of us is creating the world we are living in, and that the process of creating it is what gives us meaning and pleasure.

It is precisely the transformation from inaction to agency, the transformation I went through making the film, that I want the film to offer to audiences.  And thus, FRESH showcases real people first and foremost, connecting audiences not with facts and figures or apocalyptic policy analysis, but with personal stories of change.  Rather than waiting for “the solution” to present itself from some all-knowing expert, FRESH offers audiences a choice and vision for many different possible solutions, all within their own reach.

Who is financing the project?

Lots of debts and a few grants (Jerome Foundation, NYSCA, individual donations).

How long did the project take from its earlier stages to its distribution?

I started thinking about it over three years ago.  I spend most of the winter 2005/2006 (early spring) researching and started shooting in April 2006.  I shot over 150 hours of footage that first Summer.  Then I edited through April 2007, while continuing my research and developing the story.  I went back to shoot during the Spring and Summer of 2007 and got another 150 hours or so of footage.  Then, back to the editing station.  I finally hired a full time editor in march or April 2008 and we completed the movie by the end of 2008.

Why did you choose the film medium? As someone who opted to do a show about the developments in the sustainable food worlds, I know that the visual aspect really appealed to me. I also saw it as a reaction, or at the very least an evolution, from the tired cooking show format that dominates certain networks.

I don’t think I considered what would be the best medium to convey my message.  I had just completed my first documentary, Generation Meds, and was eager to get started on a new project.  Making the documentary was my process to discover both the issues and their meaning in my life and work.  I think that each medium have their own strength and possibilities.  Just think of the impact of Michael Pollan’s books.  FRESH reflect what I think are the particular strengths of the film medium and the potential of documentaries to effect people in deep and meaningful ways. I believe that we are moved to change when we are touched emotionally.  Therefore, I wanted to make a character-driven movie; a movie whose emotional message would carry you through, not the facts and statistics. This is why

What are your hopes for the project?

I like to think of FRESH as a call to action. FRESH (hopefully) will inspire its audience and my distribution strategy is meant to turn inspiration into action.  FRESH screenings are being organized in very diverse communities all over the US.  These screenings are followed by panel discussions with local representatives of the sustainable food movements.  Panelists can inform the public about the issues relevant to their community and about the resources available locally. Therefore, audience members will be given the opportunity to meet like-minded people in their community and get access immediately to the resources available in their communities.  My hope is that FRESH can become a platform to raise awareness and a catalyst for the sustainable food movement.

Are you submitting it to any film festivals or competitions?

We are going to several festivals, but my focus is on the grassroots distribution outlined above.

For those of our readers who are not familiar with Joel Salatin or Michael Pollan (admittedly a shrinking group) can you tell my readers why what they are doing is important? And why it has or WILL effect them in the future?

I can’t put it into words, folks are going to have to come and watch the movie!

What was the motivation to make this movie? Have you made other films or documentaries before?

I think I’ve answered that above.

What did you learn making the movie? What is Joel Salatin, the self described, "lunatic christian conservative environmentalist evangelist farmer" like? Is he funny? Is he quirky? From the interviews and talks I have seen of him, he seems pretty brilliant but also a little unpredictable?

I’m sorry man, but I’ve tried to answer this question and I don’t feel like I can do justice to Joel.  I’m not good with words (perhaps why i’m making docs) and feel like I can’t describe in a way that’s satisfying to me.

Since you are a New York City dweller, do you have any favorite sustainable restaurants or businesses that you particularly like?

I’ve recently became addicted to Gustorganics on 6th ave and 13th street.  They have the best food, their meat is grass-fed in long island, and it’s affordable. And I’m a big fan of the owner, Roberto Gonzalez, who is a true believer and whose work is a real reflection of his heart. Sometimes, it feels like there’s a lot of green marketing going on, that folks just think of it as a new business model, a way to find a niche market and charge a few extra bucks.  Alberto’s dedication to the principles of sustainability is admirable and inspiring.  It’s folks like him that keep me believing! My partner and I are also members of the Brooklyn coop.  When you try to eat health
y on a budget, having access to incredible produce at an affordable price is key. We probably save around $70 a week on groceries and we don’t pay more than what we would pay buying conventional (not organic or local) products at a regular supermarket.