The Smell of Money

2023 • 83 Minuten

Über diesen Film

The smell of money"-that's what Big Pork calls the stench of pig waste in the air in eastern North Carolina, where much of the world's bacon and barbecue is made. But to Elsie Herring and others who live near the state's giant pig factories, the revolting odor is a call to battle against generations of injustice. When a corporate hog farm moves in–uninvited–on land her grandfather had purchased after claiming his freedom from slavery, Elsie Herring decides to fight back. But as her rural community becomes the epicenter of the pork industry's explosion in America, Elsie's struggle to save her family's home and heritage turns into a battle against one of the world's most powerful companies and its deadly pollution. After decades of intimidation and defeat, Elsie and her community team up with a gutsy small-town lawyer to take the world's largest pork company to court. An epic, nine-year legal battle ensues, and the residents risk everything to reclaim their rights to clean air, pure water, and a life free from the stench of shit. A story about the power of love for one's family and community to triumph over even the largest forces of injustice, The Smell of Money calls upon viewers to see the people behind what's on our plates––and to join the fight for a better future for us all.

Bewertungen und Rezensionen

Essential viewing for every American. "The Smell of Money" is the platonic ideal of an issue doc, creating a palpable sense of urgency through human interest, historical context, and investigative reporting. Whether you care about racial justice, animal rights, or corporate malfeasance, this is the doc for you.

This film will make you cry, make you angry, and then inspire you to fight for change. It's one of the most powerful documentaries about our food system, and it's incredibly well made, too. Highly recommend.

I saw this documentary at the Environmental Film Festival in DC and I don’t think anything I’ve seen has come close to effectively communicating the connection between racism, classism, anti-Blackness, human rights, environmentalism, and animal issues as this film does. It's powerful without being graphic. I can't recommend this film enough.