Dominican Film: Chocolate Country
The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern most half of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Although it is still considered a developing nation, the Dominican has the second largest economy in the region. Their chief sources of revenue are tourism, agriculture, trade and services in the technology and finance industries. Focusing on agriculture, the Dominican Republic is one of the top two producers of sugar cane in the Caribbean and one of the top ten producers of the cocoa bean in the world.
The documentary Chocolate Country was filmed in 2007 in the hills of Loma Guaconejo, where cocoa bean farmers struggle for survival. For generations these farmers have struggled to have a presence in the global market, without success. Chocolate Country lets the farmers and their families tell their story of survival, including a new plan for success.
Cocoa bean farmers in the remote hills of the Dominican have seen how organic crops have risen in popularity, so their plan is to go organic. However, in order to achieve a fully certified organic farm status the whole community must work together. Old rivalries must be put aside, class divides need to be overlooked and a collective commitment to the greater good must be agreed upon.
The film makers are careful to include vital elements of the real lives of the Dominican farmers. Viewers are shown how the cocoa bean seed grows to a pod, a bean and eventually ground to powder for sale. By creating organic cocoa powder, the Dominican farmers will have created an entirely new market for themselves. Not only will the organic market be open to them, but American buyers have agreed to purchase from them directly if organic certification can take place. It is a huge step for the livelihood of the community.
The soundtrack to Chocolate Country is entirely made up of local folk music and stories, further adding to the purity of the documentary. In fact, the film was so well received; it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Documentary at the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival. More recently, Chocolate Country was chosen as a winner in the ViewChange Film Festival supporting the United Nations Millennium Goals in 2010.
The cocoa bean and chocolate have often been associated with Mexico or Belgium, yet those are not the only places where fine chocolate can emerge from. Explore the Dominican Republic for its agriculture, tropical forests, exotic wildlife and stunning Caribbean beaches. There is much to see, do and learn in the Dominican!
The documentary Chocolate Country was filmed in 2007 in the hills of Loma Guaconejo, where cocoa bean farmers struggle for survival. For generations these farmers have struggled to have a presence in the global market, without success. Chocolate Country lets the farmers and their families tell their story of survival, including a new plan for success.
Cocoa bean farmers in the remote hills of the Dominican have seen how organic crops have risen in popularity, so their plan is to go organic. However, in order to achieve a fully certified organic farm status the whole community must work together. Old rivalries must be put aside, class divides need to be overlooked and a collective commitment to the greater good must be agreed upon.
The film makers are careful to include vital elements of the real lives of the Dominican farmers. Viewers are shown how the cocoa bean seed grows to a pod, a bean and eventually ground to powder for sale. By creating organic cocoa powder, the Dominican farmers will have created an entirely new market for themselves. Not only will the organic market be open to them, but American buyers have agreed to purchase from them directly if organic certification can take place. It is a huge step for the livelihood of the community.
The soundtrack to Chocolate Country is entirely made up of local folk music and stories, further adding to the purity of the documentary. In fact, the film was so well received; it was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Documentary at the 2007 Seattle International Film Festival. More recently, Chocolate Country was chosen as a winner in the ViewChange Film Festival supporting the United Nations Millennium Goals in 2010.
The cocoa bean and chocolate have often been associated with Mexico or Belgium, yet those are not the only places where fine chocolate can emerge from. Explore the Dominican Republic for its agriculture, tropical forests, exotic wildlife and stunning Caribbean beaches. There is much to see, do and learn in the Dominican!
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