GLOBAL DRINKS – Collezione

Our new collection tells the story of six drinks. Six surprising fates for non-alcoholic drinks that have managed to make themselves indispensable, almost “unavoidable” in our daily lives, with economic, industrial, sociological and cultural implications on a world-wide scale.

THE JUICY STORY OF JUICE

Who knew that their morning orange juice had traveled almost 8,000 miles and used up almost 6 gallons of water before reaching its destination? Vaunted as an energetic treasure to the countries that drink it but don’t produce it, fruit juice is actually a black hole in energetic terms, and one that is growing steadily as it pours over the planet. Since the 5th century B.C., juices have been admired for their near-medicinal properties: in Spain, they swear that tomatoes’ acidity is excellent for your hair and complexion, as well as helping with street-cleaning! Filmmaker Emir Kusturica, for his part, is launching a “green revolutionaries’” fruit-juice business, in homage to the planet’s greatest, “rebels with a cause”. Should we be keeping an eye out for Cherry Guevara or Pink Lenin-Ade?

SODA: THE MAGIC FORMULA

Pssscht! That magical onomatopoeia, synonymous with instant gratification, quenched thirst, a sugar buzz, and above all, fat juicy profits. In the late 18th century, English chemists found a formula that allowed them to reproduce the bubbly effect of naturally effervescent waters, by introducing carbon dioxide into sweet, flavored waters. Today, the cola war has gone global. The feuding Pepsi – Coca pair has had to face competition from alternative, anti-American colas ranging from the fair trade (OpenCola) to the culturally specific (Palestinian Mecca Cola, Iranian Zam-Zam Cola or even Peruvian Fuji-Cola). Energy drinks have entered the market with several “secret weapons,” like Amazonian Indians’ guarana seeds – 4 times richer in caffeine then cola nuts! Unless you’re more into limpid liquids: organic, lighter, or more transparent, like the line of German sodas called Bionade and produced by…an Amish community in the USA! Despite the anti-sugar crusaders, liquid candy is going to be with for some time to come.

ON THE MILKY WAY

From the divine promise made to Moses, of a land “flowing with milk and honey,” to the first milkmen delivering the snow-white liquid to the doorsteps of English homes, has milk gone global? Newborns’ first nourishment, milk comes essentially from a mother’s breasts. But also from the udders of cows, ewes, donkeys, goats, mares, camels, dromedaries, water buffaloes, or, more and more frequently, soy beans, coconut, rice, almonds, oats and even pistachios – all those “fake milks” attacked by crusading defenders of sacrosanct dairy products, our “friends for life!” Powdered, condensed, U.H.T., raw, fresh, fermented, whole, skim or 2%; pasteurized, sterilized, diet, sweetened, flavored, cooled into ice cream or cooked into dulce de leche… it’s enough to curdle the good old farm milk from our childhoods!

THE TASTE OF WATER

Once bottled, water becomes priceless. From the USA to Iran, it costs more than gas. A “hygienic product” born of the spa tradition, since the 50s, mineral water has conquered every level of consumer society. Nowadays it has its “bars”, its “guides”, its “Olympiads”, its tasting “codex”, its rock- gut and its fine vintages for connoisseurs. It also has its multinationals, who have declared war on each other, and their labs, where tomorrow’s waters are being developed today: “near-waters”, “synthetic water”, “purified water”; for all tastes, but not necessarily all budgets. Blue gold’s future could have been bright. But now mineral water is going to some ecologists’ heads, and a new kind of Prohibition is in the air…

“Tea for all” and “Coffee, Please” are also part of the series

Italy-France / 2010 / 6 x 52 min.
Director: Pierre BOURGEOIS – Pierre-Olivier FRANCOIS – Gérard LAFONT – Emma TASSY – Stefano TEALDI
Production: STEFILM and ARTLINE FILMS

In association with: FRANCE TELEVISIONS / PLANETE / RTBF/ TV5MONDE / YLE / DBS Satellite