This documentary explores the corn production process in the United States and should be seen by any corn-consumer in the nation.
"King Corn" is a documentary about two guys, Aaron Woolf and Curt Ellis, who move out to Iowa to work on an inhereted piece of land to track the path of corn from seed to feed.
Throughout their toils they meet with locals, explore the difficulties of having a farm, and delve into the corn production process in the United States. The film, directed by Woolf, chronicles their adventures while depicting the problems of over production on the economy, the environment, and small farmers across the country.
This process of over production has an effect all over Latin America. Many small farmers in Mexico, for example, can no longer survive on their corn crops because of the flooded market. In many of the villages I visited, it was expected the men in the family go to the United States for a couple of years, usually undocumented, to suppliment the money made from harvests. Free trade and modernization takes its tolls as economies evolve.
"King Corn" focuses on the corn production process in the United States, by following a one acre yield throughout the entire process. The film presents the process for what it is, better or worse, making it refreshing compared to the heavy handed, oppinionated documentaries of late.
The film is in theaters now and will be shown on PBS, Tuesday, April 15th on Independent Lens.
