A majestic journey through Japan, Korea, and the United States that turns our perceptions of food (and life) upside down in a simple and poetic way. Solutions for our most pressing social and ecological issues come from unexpected places in a bite-sized film that New York Times bestselling author Alicia Bay Laurel calls “beautiful … both art and documentary.”

First time directors Patrick M. Lydon (USA) and Suhee Kang (Korea) weave breathtaking landscapes and an eclectic original soundtrack together with stories and insights from an inspiring cast of natural farmers, chefs, and teachers who give modern-day relevance to age-old ideas about more sustainable, regenerative, and harmonious ways of living with the earth.

Current-day leaders in the natural farming movement featured in the film include Yoshikazu Kawaguchi (Japan), Seonghyun Choi (Korea), and Larry Korn (United States), as well as a dozen others, from farmers to chefs to urbanites. Their stories illuminate a brilliant-yet-maddeningly-simple path to sustainability and well being, one popularized by the late Masanobu Fukuoka, author of the seminal environmental text “One Straw Revolution.” Far-reaching in its application, “Food, Earth, Happiness” offers itself as a seed to grow solutions for social and environmental justice.

Officially released on January 1, 2019, this film is an abbreviated version of the acclaimed environmental documentary Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness (74 min / 2015). It has been edited by the directors for public and classroom use.

Credits

– directed, filmed, and produced by –
Patrick M. Lydon and Suhee Kang

– produced by –
SocieCity Films
City as Nature

– associate producer –
Kaori Tsuji

– characters –
Yoshikazu Kawaguchi Larry Korn Kristyn Leach Seong Hyun Choi Etsko Kagamiyama Ryosok Hong Maki Sobajima Kenji Murakami Yoshiki Yamamoto Osamu Kita Kazuaki Okitsu Dennis Lee

– musicians –
Bomnoonbyul
WindSync: Anni Hochhalter, horn; Garrett Hudson, flute; Tracy Jacobson, bassoon; Jack Marquardt, clarinet; Erin Tsai, oboe
Ipppen: Youji Kohno and Ben Nakamura
Joyful Island

– interview coordination and interpretation –
Eri and Kazu Domae
Ikumasa Hayashi
Eri Mizushima
Isao Suizu
Naho Takeuchi
Kaori Tsuji
Hyunwoo Kim

– translation –
Masumi Abe
Sonny Kim
Malga Kim
Natsuki Yamada-Kitade
Kyoko Koda
Hyunwoo Kim
Daisuke Matsumoto
Akiko Misasa
Eri Mizushima-Peterson
Uni Park Shumei

– explore more –
http://www.finalstraw.org

“Food, Earth, Happiness” was filmed entirely on location in Japan, South Korea, and the United States between 2011 – 2015 by directors Patrick M. Lydon and Suhee Kang.