The Film "Fresh"

 The 2009 film Fresh, which focuses on the many harms caused by industrial agriculture, opened my eyes to how little I knew about food production. The thing that stuck with me the most from Fresh was how poorly animals are treated. I had never considered what went on behind the scenes of the food I see at the grocery store every day.

Because of this film, I realized that there was a sort of disconnect between me and food. For example, the meat in the grocery was nothing more to me than just meat. It was just one of the many things I could buy at the store. It never really crossed my mind that it was actually part of something living and breathing. Fresh opened my eyes to the reality of how the meat got to the shelves. It shows the terrible living conditions the animals have to live in before they’re taken for consumption. The film does a good job showing how overcrowded the animal farms are and reinforces the idea that most farms are more profit-driven instead of caring for their animals. As a viewer, it made me want to see change for the animals. Although the meat from these animals is needed for us to survive, there are better and more ethical ways to go about getting it. The animals shouldn’t have to suffer just because they’re going to die anyway, which goes with the message the film is trying to push out.

I think films like Fresh are really important, and everyone should watch it at least once. It’s important to be informed about the issues surrounding the food we eat. We should know where it comes from and how it was produced. With that knowledge, we’re more likely to support healthier, more ethical, and more sustainable food practices. Not only will that benefit us, but it will benefit the environment and the animals involved as well.