"Exactly the film we need right now." Michael Pollan, author, In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma

What's On Your Plate? is a witty and provocative documentary about kids and food politics. Over the course of one year, the film follows two eleven-year-old multiracial city kids as they explore their place in the food chain. Sadie and Safiyah talk to food activists, farmers, and storekeepers, as they address questions regarding the origin of the food they eat, how it's cultivated, and how many miles it travels from farm to fork.

Sadie and Safiyah visit supermarkets, fast food chains, and school lunchrooms. But they also check out innovative sustainable food system practices by going to farms, greenmarkets, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs. They discover that these options have a number of positive effects: they are good for the environment, help struggling farmers survive, and provide affordable, locally grown food to communities, especially lower-income urban families.

The film culminates with a delicious local meal cooked by the girls and friends they have made along the way. Sadie and Safiyah formulate sophisticated and compassionate opinions about urban sustainability, and by doing so inspire hope and active engagement in others.

Note: This DVD comes with a thorough 64-page curriculum guide that is matched to the three 20-minute study modules on the DVD, which are entitled SCHOOL FOOD, HEALTH AND ACCESS, and LOCAL FOOD. Additional copies may be purchased here for $35 each.



Grade Level: 5-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2009     Copyright Date: 2009
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-901-1

Reviews "What's On Your Plate? is exactly the film we need right now." Michael Pollan, Author, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto and The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals "This movie can have a real impact on the way we think about what we're eating." Alice Waters, chef, author and founder of the Edible Schoolyard "Congratulations, Sadie and Safiyah! It is great to have you take us through the food cycle. As somebody said: 'You are what you eat.' Thank you for helping us get it right. You will definitely capture the imagination of your peers and generations beyond." Kofi Annan, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former UN Secretary General "I've been lobbying for more than 15 years on children's health issues, and it's easy to get frustrated with the opposition on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures, or even local jurisdictions. The task is helping policy makers understand and see all sides. I believe it's time for the messengers to change. And there are no better messengers than kids themselves. One of the things I love about this film is the natural curiosity and all the questions that arise. We adults need to guide kids and provide direction, but we also need to step out of the way and provide room for young people to testify, share their stories, ask the right questions and ultimately demand change." Kimberly Perry, Kids' Movement Director, The Clinton Foundation's Alliance for a Healthier Generation "We are, for the first time in our history, at the unenviable moment when our unhealthy diet and lack of education surrounding our food supply have combined to foment the perfect storm that is taking us toward extinction. If we do not change what we feed our children and teach them about their food supply and the symbiotic relationship between a healthy planet, healthy food and healthy bodies - this path will become a reality. What's On Your Plate? will provide a first step in our education, which just might curb this trajectory and possibly save our children." Chef Ann Cooper, Author, Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children "This film speaks to children and gives them a firsthand look at what the food they eat does to their bodies. It takes an incredibly complicated topic and breaks it down into segments, showing the relationships between growers, food processors and end users and how money is the driving force steering this ship called 'the food we eat.' Health teachers, science teachers and gym teachers would be well served to show this film to their students in order to help children understand the important relationship their bodies have with whole foods and how healthy eating can positively affect their lives." Beth Feehan, NJ Farm to School Network "I watched What's On Your Plate? with my daughters, age 9 and 13, and they sat captivated for the entire film...The film addresses many aspects of our food system, including distance food travels, the challenges in providing healthy foods in schools, the medical consequences of a poor diet, and the economics of being a small farmer. A love of good food and celebration was evident throughout the movie, which is important when communicating about the problems with some parts of the typical American diet. There was a lot that this movie set out to cover, but the girl's journey moved along in an understandable and entertaining manner. I was impressed by the energy and drive of the two girls in the film and their fearless pursuit of answers. They provide role models for young women who want to question why things are this way, and how they got there." Dr. Marlene Schwartz, Deputy Director, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University "What's On Your Plate is a progressive, unpretentious commentary on the importance of our food choices for the health of people and the planet. Viewers are guided by two smart, confident, curious, multiracial girls whose exploration of food practices and politics leaves young viewers inspired and empowered to join in the movement for change. This upbeat and informative film confronts issues of class, race, food policy, community and the role for small farmers. It's a great resource for schools, community groups and families." Suzanne Havala Hobbs, Department of Health Policy and Management and Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Author, Living Vegetarian for Dummies "A charming and informative video touching on many current food-related topics such as global warming, locally grown foods, organics, label reading and health issues. The young narrators are natural and authentic. The video is a realistic snapshot of the benefits of and barriers to locally grown foods, particularly in urban areas." Rosemary Dederichs, Director, Nutrition Services, Minneapolis Public Schools "This film can inspire students to ask their own tough questions and pursue their own answers, in addition to encouraging them to think critically about what they eat and make healthy choices. It shows them their actions can create real change. What's On Your Plate? Is a useful tool for units on nutrition, food systems, policy, economics, or even research in a middle-school to introductory college-level course." Danielle Langworthy, Community College of Denver, Anthropology Review Database "An informative and engaging documentary...A winning, kid-friendly investigation into a complicated subject, this is highly recommended." Video Librarian "This inspiring film explains the importance of our food choices and might just rally viewers to a healthier diet." School Library Journal "Not only does Catherine Gund's film What's On Your Plate? educate its audience about where our food come from, it also investigates why getting good food to all people all the time is challenging...Gund's film offers enlightenment to all kinds of audiences...This is a must-see movie. Be ready to laugh, to learn and to be warmed by the sense of community amongst people who love real food." Gabrielle Redner, Slow Food USA "What's on your plate? Well, what's on your ballot...So much of what we eat in America has to do with choices we make in the political realm. Unfortunately the under 18 constituency that is so affected by our food policy choices doesn't get to vote. I think this film will go far in focusing our attention on the way we're feeding the next generations." Aaron Woolf, filmmaker of King Corn "I think that Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, and his subsequent In Defense of Food, is to the food movement what Silent Spring was to the environmental movement. He did an excellent job of being eloquent about the industrial food system and how it ends up on our plate, and that's how I see this movie being for youth. It's an 11-year-old's take of Omnivore's Dilemma in a film for people to really be able to take it in bite sized pieces and understand it." Debra Eschmeyer, National Farm to School Network and the Center for Food and Justice "I strongly believe that this documentary is building an entire community movement around it. What's On Your Plate? is the tipping point for how we address the issues of food access and diet-related health and their impacts upon children_Aubin Pictures has created an incredible asset for the world; a tool that individuals and organizations at all levels in the food chain - literally - can use in their work to create a healthier planet." Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President "The advisory council to the film reads like a roster of major players in the sustainable food movement...Take your kids to a screening!" Sustainable Table "A colorful, kid-friendly journey...This is no garden variety educational video." Edible Manhattan "Gather all your young foodies...The girls sift through enough layers of the sustainable movement to make Michael Pollan proud: tackling everything from the origin of the food they eat, how it's cultivated and prepared, to the many miles it travels from its harvest to their plate to the tricky problem of what to do with leftovers. An organic breakfast beforehand is definitely in order." Julie Bloom, The New York Times UrbanEye newsletter "Observing the education of these two bright and engaging young people serves to enliven the subject matter - to make it new, perhaps even for member's of the film's star-studded advisory council." Karen Loew, City Limits "We need to get every child in the NYC school system to see this movie and start to think about where their food comes from. We need to get parents to see it, so they can support their children's desire for healthy eating habits. But most importantly, we need to legislators to see it, if it means the possibility of allotting more money to school food so better school food can be served." Kelly Moltzen, Food for Thought and Action blog