WE FEED PEOPLE

(director: Ron Howard; cinematographer: Kris Kaczor; editors: Gladys Murphy/Andrew Morreale; music:Sami Jano; cast: José Andrés, Maisie Wilhelm, Nate Mook; Runtime: 87; MPAA Rating: NR; producers; Sara Bernstein, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Meredith Kaulfers, Walter Matteson, Justin Wilkes: A National Geographic release/Disney +; 2022)

“The uplifting film was a joy to watch.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Ron Howard (“Apollo 13″/”Frost/Nixon”) presents an inspirational documentary that highlights the Spanish born and Washington, D.C living celebrity chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen’s growth over a 12-year period, that goes from being a small group of volunteers helping with disaster relief  to becoming a well-regarded humanitarian aid organizations in the disaster relief sector.

Chef Andrés, the star of a TV cooking show, the owner of several restaurants in the United States and author of several cookbooks, believes “Food is an agent of change.”

His hero status begins in 2010 in Haiti, during the earthquake, where he volunteered to provide food for those overwhelmed in the tragedy. His World Central Kitchen continued to provide food at other catastrophes over the years in such places as in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Marica, in Guatemala when its volcano erupted, in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, in Arizona when overwhelmed with the COVID crisis at Navajo Indian reservations, and at many other disaster sites.

It’s quite an experience meeting such a great humanitarian, especially in the current climate of adversity and selfishness and in a ongoing bloody war against civilians in the Ukraine. His efforts are stressful for many reasons, not the least being on how to finance his project.

The uplifting film was a joy to watch.


It played at the SXSW Film Festival.

REVIEWED ON 6/1/2022  GRADE: B