A documentary that will tackle the highly-polarizing topic of genetically modified food is coming to town this weekend.
The film “Food Evolution” will be showing at the Orpheum Theater at 2 p.m. on Sunday and will be free to the public.
Kevin Maynard, the Executive Director of the Orpheum, told WGIL that the showing of the documentary and a panel following are sponsored by the Knox County Farm Bureau, “and after the movie they’re doing a couple person panel so people can ask them some questions. And the really cool part about that is these aren’t just people, these are your local farmers.”
The documentary’s directer, Academy Awarded-nominated Scott Hamilton Kennedy, says it opened his eyes to fact versus fiction on the GMO issue.
“It’s obviously a very controversial subject that has not, for many many years, has not been told in it’s full picture,” said Kennedy. “A lot of people have seen films that have scared them, have seen blog posts that have scared them, and we were fascinated by the fact that when you look deeper there wasn’t science to support that fear. We thought.. there’s really a film in here.”
He said the documentary’s goal is to reset the conversation on GMOs – adding that the story has not been told in it’s full picture.
The film has been shown at several college campuses already including Illinois State and Southern Illinois University.
More venues in and near Illinois will host the film April through June.
