Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2019 – How We Eat
Comparing the lifestyles of a cattle rancher, hunter-gatherer, and vegan activist, this film investigates the reasoning behind their choices to eat responsibly.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Blair Pennington
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I became a vegetarian four years ago because California was in a drought and I recently started to understand the environmental impact of eating meat. As I continued learning more about food even beyond environmental consequences, I decided I wanted to make a film comparing people who made radically different decisions about the food they eat based on a holistic approach.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film is for someone who wants to know more about the consequences of their dietary choices but maybe isn't sure where to start. If you're interested at all in the environmental, social, health, or economic impact of your food, this film is a good starting point.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The underlying message of How We Eat is that everyone should take responsibility for their food choices, whether or not we agree. The three characters have chosen different diets based on the various impacts they prioritize.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
From the moment I found the cattle rancher character, I knew the other characters I wanted to include and the important moments in their food choices that I wanted to show. As I got to know each of them, I discovered eccentricities in their character that I knew I wanted to include, which took the film from simply a look at food to a more personal, portrait documentary blended with an essay-style documentary.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been really positive. Everyone wants to know more, especially about Joel, the forager.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
When I started out making this film I thought I would make a straight survey-style documentary with experts and formal interviews throughout. As I took notes during the editing process, I realized that wasn't the film I should make. I chose characters that held their own and people wanted to get to know them in relation to their food choices. Since completing the film, the only feedback I've gotten that challenged my point of view was that there wasn't enough cooking, but I think that also is just not the film I was making. Yes, it's a documentary about food, but it's more so a documentary about people's choices in food.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
When the film becomes available online, I hope seeing it on We Are Moving Stories will inspire others to watch the film and consider the role food plays in their life.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists, and people that will appreciate the film and will champion the film through their platforms.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like this film to be seen in conjunction with feature-length documentaries also about food to open the discussion about a holistic approach to the way we choose our diet.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What is the most important factor in deciding what you eat? What else factors into your decision?
Would you like to add anything else?
Thank you for including my film on We Are Moving Stories! This is a student film and now that I've graduated, I'm looking forward to collaborating with other documentarians professionally.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Blair is in pre-production on a short documentary chronicling the brief span of a few days when the Thousand Oaks community was rocked by a mass shooting and dangerous fire.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
How We Eat
Comparing the lifestyles of a cattle rancher, hunter-gatherer, and vegan activist, this film investigates the reasoning behind their choices to eat responsibly.
Length: 16:52
Director: Blair Pennington
Producer: Blair Pennington
Writer: Blair Pennington
About the writer, director and producer:
BLAIR PENNINGTON is a documentary director and editor. She became interested in documentary filmmaking through her love for animals and the environment. She believes filmmaking is the best way to communicate that passion. She has directed four short documentaries, including How We Eat, which was in competition for Best Short at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. After graduating from the BFA News and Documentary program at Chapman University in 2018, she has created digital content for The Dodo, edited the feature documentary, The Fan Connection, and is handling social media marketing for the documentary Be Natural.
Key cast: Sasha Kozorez (self), Joel Robinson (self), Frank Fitzpatrick (self)
Website: blairpennington.myportfolio.com
Funders: Self-funded and Kickstarter