Black Gold movie review

Although this documentary is about coffee, it doesn’t give you tips on brewing the perfect cuppa. No, it tries to clarify and add meaning to those well-intentioned but largely opaque phrases like “trade not aid”. The film focuses on Tadesse Meskela, the manager of a farmers’ co-op in Ethiopia, who tirelessly brokers deals with coffee producers so that his growers can improve their meagre standard of living. Tadesse’s struggles are seen beside vignettes that highlight the West’s enduring love affair with the prized bean. One minute, an Italian bigwig discusses quality control at upmarket firm Illy; the next, African farmers deliberate over profits that won’t even stretch to building a school. Directors Marc and Nick Francis present the unpalatable side to global commerce and it really does leave a bad taste in your mouth.