At times, Food for Profit is horrifically difficult and uncomfortable to watch, but wholly necessary. Although its narrative is possibly too sensationalist at times, it is done so for a purpose. It wants to affect you, wants you to be disgusted, and in that regard, it succeeds.

A five-year investigation into intensive farms, which mistreat animals, pollute the environment and pose a potential danger for future pandemics while being fuelled by hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money. Giulia Innocenzi and Pablo D’Ambrosi take us on a journey across Europe, where they confront farmers, corporations and politicians.

Food for Profit wastes barely a second of its runtime to show you the disgusting treatment of livestock by those in the food industry and far, far beyond rising into the political sphere. It’s uncomfortable and aims to keep its audience in that position for the entirety of the runtime. Does it need to do that to people most likely won over by the first 30 minutes? No, but by design, it wants to hammer home its narrative and leave no one in any doubt that change is required. Giulia Innocenzi and Pablo D’Ambrosi have made a heavy film that will upset and anger you; how could it not?

As the documentary continues, you realise how the European Union continuously contradicts green policies and how they view animal welfare. It’s a dire situation, and the investigation and film shine when the spotlight is on the political side of the issue. We see how beyond the pale they have gone in regard to their morals, and it causes your blood to boil. There is certainly a case that Food for Profit should have stayed focused on this side of the investigation. Targeting and trying to get lobbyists and politicians to realise the error of their ways is quite compelling.

The sensationalist approach isn’t new for documentaries like this, and as such, it doesn’t work as well as Innocenzi and D’Ambrosi think or want it to in Food for Profit. There is a lot to appreciate from what they have achieved and brought to the audience’s attention, but it never goes beyond the shock treatment. There is rarely the delving needed into the topic to not only grasp the audience’s attention but to make us advocates. As the analysis is slightly lacking, the film, at times, feels like it is just constant shouting. Be it from those presenting their findings and with how they present it. You are just hit with a wall of rightful anger, which sometimes becomes too overwhelming.

Despite those issues, Food for Profit is still important to watch. There has been quite a stir (again, a rightful one) from this documentary, yet I have seen comments about how it doesn’t go far enough. That should be a reason for people to go vegan, and by not eating meat, the animals could live a better life. Instead, the film takes the approach that if we are to keep eating meat, we need to return to a more ethical way of farming these animals. That having these poor, broken, and agonised animals ready to be killed to fill our plates is not the right way to go about things.

We are better than that, and I doubt anyone would disagree with treating the animals with the respect they deserve before their deaths. We especially think that we Europeans treat animals better, that we are not going as far as Americans or even like some documentaries have shown in China. However, in truth, we are no better because those high up enough in government, the policymakers, have too much sway and interest in keeping things the way they are.

Sure, Innocenzi and D’Ambrosi take the blunt approach to waking audiences up, but they feel they have to. There is a desperation present because of how important this issue is, and it is felt the entire way through the film and is hard not to gravitate towards. Does it hit all the notes you want it to? No, but it hits enough and stays with you enough to make you want to talk about it, and that is the main thing.

★★★

Food For Profit is showing on Sat 20th July at Bertha Doc House during the Cinecittà Italian Doc Fest which is a two-day celebration of Italian film, on Sat 20 and Sun 21 Jul. See the full line up here.

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