Silent Land. The Fight for Fair Food
Directed by
In the period following Pol Pot’s bloody regime during which all land property rights were transferred to the state, it was easy for Cambodian entrepreneurs to buy vast estates. This was the case of Mong Reththy, one of the richest men in the country, who over the years has built up an agricultural empire by applying modern techniques on a large scale. But alongside the major corporations, there are also the grievances of small growers such as the courageous young Moon, who is determined to safeguard her organic rice production business. She spent four very tough years of study, debate and struggle to create an agricultural cooperative in her village.
“Many tourists come to Cambodia to see the famous Angkor Wat temples. But only a few of them know about the tragedy that is playing out behind them: a bitter and uneven struggle for land.” Moon is a young Cambodian mother who dreams of being a full-time farmer. “I don’t need to grow rich,” she says, “all I want is healthy food for my family and rice to sell. In Cambodia good rice is exported and local rice is full of toxic substances.” But all around her, relatives and friends are losing their land to large corporations and are often exposed to dangerous consequences.
Through Moon, the documentary tells these stories. Of her landless aunt who now earns a living by selling plastic in the city. Of her friends whose health has been ruined by toxic substances working as pineapple pickers in Thailand. And of Moon herself who, in addition to working in a medical NGO, attempts to found a rice growers’ cooperative.
“This film has not only to be seen but also to be used to make a personal choice,” says Vandana Shiva. “The way we eat shapes our food system. Farmers are the most numerous group of hungry people in the world. They are often indebted due to the high cost of chemicals and seeds, and ultimately have to give up their land. We have fought for the abolition of the feudal system. But now we have corporate feudalism: farmers are totally dependent on businesses. Human rights and the environment can no longer be viewed separately.”
From the debate that followed a screening of the film organized at The Hague by Initiatives of Change Netherlands (IofC) on October 14 2016. (www.iofc.org/film-screening-silent-land-iofc-netherlands)
Gallery
Media Download
Poster
High Resolution Images
Activism
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Creative Europe Media Program. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.