Finding North

Since the economy went south, many people can't get their bearings. FINDING NORTH is a lyrical yet sobering film that explores the issue of hunger in America. One in six Americans don't have enough to eat; 30% of families are “food insecure,” meaning they have limited access to a nutritional diet. Food insecurity is related to our current obesity epidemic, since many people living in “food deserts,” far from fully-stocked supermarkets, subsist on mostly processed food. The filmmakers interview passionate anti-hunger advocates including actor Jeff Bridges, founder of the End Hunger Network, and Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved. Doctors, teachers, and preachers working on the ground bear witness to countless families struggling to make do with less. But the most eloquent testimony comes from the hungry themselves: from Rosie, an upbeat 5th-grader in Colorado, to Barbie Izquierdo, a single Philly mom who is articulate beyond her 22 years. It's imperative that we share the bounty of our amber waves of grain: FINDING NORTH shows us the way. –B.B.