Join Slow Food Portland and director, Christoper Quinn, for an evening of film and lively conversation as we screen his film, Eating Animals. The film will be followed by a panel discussion including Quinn and several members of our local food community.
Directed and produced by Christopher Quinn (Sundance award winner God Grew Tired of Us), Eating Animals tells the story of the beginning of the end of factory farming. Produced with Academy Award winner Natalie Portman and Jonathan Safran Foer, the film is the feature-length adaptation of Foer’s critically acclaimed book of the same name that starts out with a simple question—where do our eggs, dairy, and meat come from? Through the intimate narratives of several farmers dedicated to bringing their trade–and the way we eat–back to its roots, the film explores the notion of stepping away from the practices of the past 40 years that have polluted our environment, endangered our health, and caused us all to be complicit in the inhumane treatment of animals. Looking at the costs we’ve incurred as our country has become dominated by massive industrial complexes designed to feed the masses, Eating Animals paints a picture of a future where traditional farming is no longer a distant memory, but is instead the only way forward.
Panelist Bios:
Christopher Quinn | Director
Christopher Quinn’s debut film, God Grew Tired of Us, emerged from Sundance in 2006 having garnered both the Grand Jury Prize and the coveted Audience Award. Produced by Quinn and Brad Pitt and narrated by Nicole Kidman, the documentary chronicles the extraordinary journey of three Sudanese Lost Boys—men who arrived in the United States after a 15-year migration through their war-torn country. Soon after his documentary’s release, Christopher completed 21 Up America, a longitudinal portrait executive produced by Michael Apted, of 14 young Americans at the ages of 7, 14, and 21. In 2007, Christopher received the Emerging Talent Award by the International Documentary Association.
Christopher also directs commercials; his clients include Microsoft, United Airlines, Sears, and Bank of America. He notably directed the CDC’s poignant and effective “Tips from Former Smokers” Campaign, which has garnered awards and media attention for its effectiveness in inspiring people to quit smoking
Rich Butler | Verdant Hills Farm
Rich, with his husband, Michael, care for their small family farm in McMinnville, OR. They run a small herd of Angus cattle that roam on their organic pastures - born, raised, and finished humanely on the farm with access to abundant grass and clover. Verdant Hills Farm uses rotational grazing and grows their own winter feed. 100% grass-fed and grass-finished; cattle are never fed grain. They sell their beef direct seasonally to individuals and families by the quarter and use sustainable and better-than-organic practices.
Jesse Nichols | Stoneboat Farm
Jesse is a vegetable (and turkey) farmer out at Stoneboat Farm in Hillsboro which he co-operates with his brother and a great team of people and animals (including a pair of Belgian draft horses). He’s also developing a farming and Spanish language program on Stoneboat with the university of Oregon. He’s interested in building better food systems and better social systems in our local communities and in the world.
Antonella Aguilera-Ruiz | Slow Food Portland
Antonella is the Slow Food Portland chair. She’s also a naturopathic doctor and sees food as medicine as foundational to her philosophy and approach to care.