Centering on the international movement against fast food started by Carlo Petrini in 1986, Stefano Sardo's brisk documentary serves up an almost hagiographic biography of Petrini through a breezily edited compilation of archival footage, reminiscences (by family, colleagues, friends, and journalists), and animated transitions. After covering Petrini's childhood in the Piedmont town of Bra and his early forays into left-wing politics, Slow Food Story recounts Petrini's development of the non-profit food and wine association called Agricola in the early ‘80s, and its subsequent evolution into the Slow Food Movement, which was spurred by Petrini's involvement in a protest against the construction of a McDonald's near Rome's Spanish Steps. Generally, the idea behind the movement is to promote regional cuisine by encouraging local production of ingredients in conformity with existing ecological conditions. Although Petrini isn't directly interviewed, the film features periodic excerpts of his speeches before adoring crowds, during which he delivers aphorisms on reconsidering how we prepare and consume food, as well as on the dangers of globalized food production. Questions often raised about Petrini's ideas—sometimes decried as elitist or financially impractical—go unaddressed here, and it should be noted that the English subtitles are in an unusually small typeface that when situated against white backgrounds are virtually unreadable. Still, anyone interested in the Slow Food Movement—now boasting over 100,000 active adherents in more than 100 countries—will find Sardo's documentary to be a good introduction. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Slow Food Story
(2013) 74 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. DVD: $26.99. Icarus Films Home Video (avail. from most distributors). Volume 30, Issue 1
Slow Food Story
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