MILK IN THE LAND Ariana Gerstein & Monteith McCollum Documentary Video 90:00 2007

Chicago Premiere

“Milk is more than a food, it is an embodiment of American identity” – Melanie Dupuis

Milk in The Land weaves together a quirky, alternative history of America’s most popular beverage. Farmers, activists, ethicists and historians detail milk’s fascinating birth as a replacement for breast milk and booze, and its subsequent evolution into a massive industry. Food and culture are bound in mysterious ways, and milk is often assumed to be the perfect food, consumed since the beginning of time, delivered to us all as a pure gift of nature. It is also a powerful symbol of America, the embodiment of progress and perfect health. Animation and collage bring milk ads and slogans to life, while stop-motion and time-lapse effects add visual tremor to this history of greed versus need. Behind the images of idyllic pastoral landscapes and happy cows lurks the reality of mechanized milking machines and genetically engineered animals. Yesterday’s land of plenty has been transformed into today’s land of waste in this truly haunting portrait of industrialization. From the filmmaking team that brought you HYBRID (CUFF 2001), comes another fascinating tale about an American staple.