In the wake of eye-opening exposés like Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation and Slow Food movement hero Michael Pollan’s thoughtful study The Omnivore’s Dilemma, director Robert Kenner explores America’s industrial food chain in Food, Inc. Kenner tracks the flaws of large-scale chicken and cattle production, among other facets of the industry, and celebrates the virtues of small organic farms and educated consumerism. Much of the personal testimony is harrowing (a mother who lobbies on behalf of her young son who died from E. coli poisoning), and occasionally it’s inspiring (hardcore organic guru Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm). Kenner chatted by phone from Los Angeles about the challenges he had in making the documentary, and the challenge it makes to its viewers.

Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, who have become foodie superstars, appear in and contribute to your film. What did you feel you had to add to the conversation they started?

Robert Kenner: I was ultimately interested in figuring out where our food comes from, who grows it, and talking to all the different players. I wanted to make a film where we talked to everybody, like my last film, Two Days in October, about Vietnam in 1967. I found I learned more from people whose point of view I differed with. But I found that agri-business had no interest in letting us in the kitchen or even talking to us about how our food is grown. They really want to not have us thinking about this food system. Which is a brand-new food system. The illusion that the food still comes from farms with picket fences is a myth they are really invested in keeping alive.

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