Hot Docs Serves Up Food Films With Bite

The power of rice in Thailand; a girl living alone in the Russian tundra tasked with guarding her tribe's canned provisions; food activists fighting famine – on the vast subject of food, there is much to see at this year's 21st Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival launching tomorrow. Ones to watch: Fed Up features director Stephanie Soechtig's exposé of the food industry, executive-produced by journalist Katie Couric and Indigo CEO Heather Reisman; in The Songs of Rice, Thai director Uruphong Raksasad captures the "propulsive rhythms of life" in the rice fields, showing how "a simple crop becomes a powerful force of nature, permeating every facet of country life;" and The Starfish Throwers, directed by Jesse Roesler, highlights three food activists, including Indian five-star chef Narayanan Krishnan, and their Herculean efforts to fight famine in their communities. Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story follows Canadian filmmakers/activists Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer as they attempt to survive for six months on discarded food. Hot Docs runs tomorrow through to May 4th. Check the full list of films here.