While it seems that most of the attention focused on Africa today is negative--tribal warfare, government corruption, the AIDS epidemic, racial discontent--Martin Harbury's smart, inspiring, and often humorous documentary focuses on one small ray of hope that must have George Washington Carver smiling down from heaven: how peanuts are changing the lives of people living in Mali. Even though most of Mali's geography consists of inhospitable desert, a few areas exist where water is readily available. For decades, the residents of the small villages near water sources depended on cotton for their livelihood, not realizing the harmful effects this crop has on soil. In an almost unbelievable tale, Peanuts relates the story of a Hollywood technical expert named Jock Brandis, who came to these small oases of paradise in Mali with a plan to revolutionize the local economy by creating a viable cash crop and then turning over all aspects of the venture to the Africans, for them to reap the benefits. An uplifting film about positive change in contemporary Africa, this is recommended for larger public libraries and African Studies collections. Aud: C, P. (J. Carlson)
Peanuts
(2002) 46 min. $275. Bar Harbour Films (dist. by Bullfrog Films). PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56029-974-6. Volume 18, Issue 3
Peanuts
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