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Overlooked & Underrated Docs & Features
(click on broll or dschwartz for all his posts)
Unacceptable Levels: Toxins in Our Bodies Written, produced, directed, narrated and edited by first-time filmmaker Ed Brown, “Unacceptable Levels” is a mini-anthology about the more than 80,000 industrial chemicals to which our bodies are exposed—from conception.
Various facets of this story have been covered in the past by news outlets and documentary films, but this is the first time these various aspects have been identified in one comprehensive film. Brown examines water, pesticides (“and other –cides”), food, personal care products, household products, toxic sludge, and the never-ending controversy of fluoride in our water.
The impetus for this film is personal, motivated in part by Brown’s wife having had two miscarriages. His film cuts between scenes of his family, Brown’s folksy, ordinary-guy narration and on-camera presence, images of toxic chemical sources and products, and interviews with a wide variety of authorities on the sources of these chemicals and their biological impacts.
Brown’s personal stories provoke a stronger sense of urgency to the need for much more public pressure to improve or create policies that reduce our exposure to toxic chemicals.
I’ve seen a few films on this subject, but never one so thorough. If you think you’ve heard it all, think again. For instance, I never knew that ‘toxic sludge’ was being used as fertilizer for the food we eat. I never heard of toxic sludge, let alone what it is. Problem is, I never stopped for one nano-second to ponder about what happens to all the solids and chemicals removed from our sewer water—the massive amount of chemicals we pour down our sinks, tubs, showers, and flush down our toilets.
See the film’s site (link above) for screening information. “Unacceptable Levels” will be available from Yekra starting May 9.