Curt Ellis, king of corn, to come to Denison
"For the first time in American history, our generation was at risk of having a shorter life-span than our parents. And it was because of what we ate." - Curt Ellis, King Corn
Giana Gregga
Issue date: 2/9/10 Section: Up Hill, Down Hill
Furthering efforts to transform Denison into a greener campus, Denison continues to bring numerous speakers on sustainability and consumption to the hill. The goal is to provide diverse perspectives on this year's campus theme of consumption and to promote awareness of the ecological challenges we as a school and as a planet are currently facing.
Curt Ellis, the co-producer of King Corn (2007), will be premiering his newest documentary, Big River (2009), at the Burton Morgan Lecture Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11.
Ellis's first documentary, King Corn, which was released in 2007, tells the story of two friends who leave their apartment in New York City and head to Iowa. Their goal is to spend a year cultivating an acre of corn, and in the process they explore the significant role that corn plays in Americans' everyday lives. Corn can be found in nearly every type of processed food we eat and even in many of the inedible products we buy; everything from clothing to toys and electronics and fuels to run motor vehicles.
The documentary makes it apparent that the reason corn is "king" is, first and foremost, because it's cheap and abundant. The film provides an extensive discussion of the implications that creating this abundance of corn has had for the structure of the US economy, domestic agricultural practices, foreign policy, industrial manufacturing and human health.
Ellis' most recent documentary film is designed as a companion to King Corn. It explores where pesticides and toxins go after they have been sprayed on an agricultural plot. More specifically, it discusses the serious ecological consequences of the movement of these chemicals through earth's ecosystems.
After the documentary, Ellis will deliver a speech about industrialized agriculture and the subsidized crops that fuel our fast-food economy.
Associate professor of environmental studies Abram Kaplan especially looks forward to this event.
Curt Ellis, the co-producer of King Corn (2007), will be premiering his newest documentary, Big River (2009), at the Burton Morgan Lecture Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11.
Ellis's first documentary, King Corn, which was released in 2007, tells the story of two friends who leave their apartment in New York City and head to Iowa. Their goal is to spend a year cultivating an acre of corn, and in the process they explore the significant role that corn plays in Americans' everyday lives. Corn can be found in nearly every type of processed food we eat and even in many of the inedible products we buy; everything from clothing to toys and electronics and fuels to run motor vehicles.
The documentary makes it apparent that the reason corn is "king" is, first and foremost, because it's cheap and abundant. The film provides an extensive discussion of the implications that creating this abundance of corn has had for the structure of the US economy, domestic agricultural practices, foreign policy, industrial manufacturing and human health.
Ellis' most recent documentary film is designed as a companion to King Corn. It explores where pesticides and toxins go after they have been sprayed on an agricultural plot. More specifically, it discusses the serious ecological consequences of the movement of these chemicals through earth's ecosystems.
After the documentary, Ellis will deliver a speech about industrialized agriculture and the subsidized crops that fuel our fast-food economy.
Associate professor of environmental studies Abram Kaplan especially looks forward to this event.
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