TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

movedout If you didn't already know that coffee is big business, then Nick and Mark Francis's documentary should hammer that fact in. "Black Gold" could have quite easily become another impassioned and reckless rail against globalisation but you get the sense that the brothers kept their eyes on the numbers, and directed from their head and not their hearts. Therein lies the film's main problem – facts are boring. It's neither harrowing nor heartfelt. The documentary is bluntly informative of the disparate levels in income of the Ethiopian farmers and the corporations that buy the beans from them on the cheap, and it's quite competent in enlightening consumers of the buried cost of a $5 latte. And on that level, it succeeds. Somewhat admirably, they lionise the Ethiopian people, both the underpaid farmers and the ones who refuse to partake in the hopeless work. But you can also observe that the Francis brothers were hoping for something more from their primary subject, Tadesse Meskela, a high-level representative from the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union. The directors do place him on a pedestal for most of the film, even to the extent of including an embarrassingly effusive interview from Meskela's wife as the man proudly looks on.

Andres Zambrano What makes "Black Gold", One of the best at The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, is that not only is it a well made film, it has a point. And a very very important point.In the opening scenes of "Black Gold", The camera slowly rolls through expert coffee tasters, who taste "The Best Coffee in the world". The camera quickly switches gears to Addis Abbaba, in Ethiopia, where it shows the coffee storage places, and the workers in it. What apt movie watchers will soon understand, is that the great filmmakers switch between the luxurious life of drinking coffee, and how a ton of workers dig it out, just to get paid 20 cents.The ravishingly intellectual filmmakers then switch to 1 man: Tadesse Meskela, General Manager, Oromo Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union, Ethiopia. He travels great distances to advertise his coffee, but his main goal is his farmers. He wants his farmers to get paid what they really deserve.This film has other points as well, such as the power of imperialist countries, as well as the multi-millionaire companies that sell what they don't really deserve.Black Gold is a must see.

rdahlby80 A insightful and disturbing look at the inner workings of the coffee industry. This should be required viewing for anyone that takes a sip of coffee after the release of the movie. A great piece of journalism that bluntly demonstrates the inequality and poverty of growers as shown through the Ethiopian farmers.I can only hope that visibility from this movie prompts something other than defensiveness from the multinationals. Do what you can to see this movie.Also interesting is the demographic breakdown of IMDb voting in the United States versus outside as well as with males 45+ - take a look.

rkeller87 Black Gold is an astounding look at what it means for the powerful at WTO talks to set a price of $0.22 for a kilo of coffee on the world market.You might think this topic could grow dull, but it never does: The pairing of these stories and the well composed score keep you on edge throughout the film. The film follows a fellow who markets coffee from an Ethiopian collective, and his message is simple: Africans are not getting fairly compensated for their crops on the world market. Prices for their commodities are artificially low, keep Africans dependent on U.S. aid, and demean an entire people by not paying them what they are worth. It's not his impassioned words that haunt you, however, but instead the toddler girl who gets weighed -- and sent home with her mother and no help because she's only "semi-malnourished" and doesn't qualify for aid. It's the fellow hacking out an beautiful coffee patch to clear it for growing chat, a narcotic leaf that folks chew to feel better and that commands a higher income per acre than coffee. This documentary is definitely worth seeing if you are at all interested in how your cup of Starbucks got into your hand. Incidentally, this is destined to be a minor classic in food journalism as well -- it's a must-see for the conscientious omnivore.