by Cheryl Muñoz
Stories are all around us, but a good storyteller pulls us in to listen closely, to be moved and most importantly to be changed by what we hear. Our appetite for transformative stories is as endless as our basic human need is to find patterns in life that enlighten us and give us hope.
In my work with The Sugar Beet Co-op and Schoolhouse, I am constantly reminded of the challenges that face our environment, our farmers, and our neighbors as we try to navigate and heal a broken food system. The stress can be overwhelming. Stories, though, have a way of isolating my insecurities and allowing me to be free of struggle long enough to regain my bearings so that I may engage again with new vitality.
My favorite film selection for the 2014 One Earth Film Festival is GMO OMG for the simple reason that it made me happy.
Continue reading more of Chery'ls review of GMO OMG.
A documentary about genetically modified foods is not supposed to be endearing and funny and lovable! The storyteller in this case is fun-loving dad Jeremy Seiffert, and he pulled me in right away with his charm and earnest hopes for his two young boys. As a mother of two young kids, I connected right away with him and trusted that he was going to tell me a good story... and he did. Jeremy and his young family set out on a road trip to learn more about GMOs. Along the way he meets with farmers, scientists and others who are impacted by industrial agriculture. Sure, I felt outraged by the lack of information regarding GMOs and looming safety concerns and how corporate greed trumps the common good, but I was ultimately cheered on by Jeremy, his family and the people he met along his journey who are working to label and restrict the use of GM foods. The message is hopeful.
Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The transformative power of storytelling and its potential to inform us and inspire us is essential as we fortify ourselves and unite our communities in an effort to make change happen. We need to feel good about it.