Milk Hot Docs 2015 Canadian Premiere GAT PR Press Summary
Interviews with Noemi Weis Completed:
Friday, March 13 Tuesday March 17 Wednesday, April 18 Thursday, April 23
POV Noemi Weis
Canadian Press Noemi Weis
CTV Noemi Weis
CHCH -‐ THe Watchlist Noemi Weis
Your World This Week Noemi Weis
Hot Docs (in house videographer) Noemi Weis
Inside Toronto Noemi Weis
Urban Moms Noemi Weis
CBC TV (French) Noemi Weis
CBC Radio (French) Noemi Weis
Saturday, April 25 Sunday, April 26 Tuesday, April 28
Movie Moves Me Noemi Weis
Toronto Film Scene Noemi Weis
Toronto Entero Noemi Weis
New Canadian Media Noemi Weis
Huffington Post Noemi Weis
She Does The City Noemi Weis
What She Said, Sirius XM Noemi Weis
Toronto Star Noemi Weis
Formula Freebies Part of Companies Brilliant Marketing By: Catherine Porter | May 1, 2015
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2015/05/01/formula-‐freebies-‐part-‐of-‐companies-‐brilliant-‐ marketing-‐porter.html Strategy ensures two in five new mothers leaving Toronto hospitals with their babies are already formula customers with 1,000 days of shopping ahead.
Within 24 hours of Typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines in 2013, many mothers in the affected areas received free baby formula.But after the formula freebies ended two months later, the mothers were unable to feed their babies, Catherine Porter writes. Within 24 hours of Typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines in 2013, the majority of mothers in the affected areas had received emergency supplies, including baby formula. We all wanted to help those families. Before that moment, only 35 per cent of Filipino women fed their newborns formula. They are a country of breastfeeders. They are mostly poor. To those women, the bottles were like a pair of pair of Imelda Marcos’s shoes — manna from rich-‐heaven. What’s good enough for Imelda is great for Junior! The formula freebies continued for two months. Then they stopped. Documentary filmmaker Noemi Weis interviewed desperate mothers whose breast milk had dried up and were now feeding their babies coffee creamer because that’s all they could afford. One mournfully described how her infant daughter wailed with hunger at night, her chest all bony ribs. Six months after the typhoon, half the young children, age 5 and under, from the stricken province of Leyte were deemed severely malnourished, according to local breastfeeding activist and Ashoka fellow Inez Fernandez. I learned all this horror watching Weis’s new documentary film, Milk. It premiered this week at the Hot Docs festival. The next day I attended the CivicAction city-‐building session on children’s health. It was called “the importance of the first 1,000 days.” That’s the nearly three-‐year window that experts on children’s development from UNICEF and WHO say are critical for their future health and well-‐being. They also say breastfeeding is a key part of that health. Guess who else regularly promotes the “First 1,000 days” along with its brands?
Nestlé, the world’s leading formula peddler. Danone, its biggest competitor, has a website called “First100days,” packed with helpful recipes for exhausted moms. And guess who was on the CivicAction panel, espousing the importance of the first 1,000 days and, in particular, breastfeeding? Nestlé’s American mouthpiece Wendy Johnson-‐Askew. Her official title is head of corporate communications for Nestlé Nutrition. Oh, they are brilliant, these formula companies. They could convince us to buy packaged snow. First, they’d get Paris Hilton to haul some around with her in a designer cooler, then they’d fund studies that showed how good it was for you compared to the icky dog-‐pee park stuff, and finally they’d donate some to the poor Yukon and Chile animals struggling in the pools of melting glaciers. Just to be helpful. In 1981, the World Health Organization publicly recognized the dangers of formula. It passed an international code for the marketing of breast-‐milk substitutes that called for a ban on free samples, on the promotion of products in hospitals and on public advertisements among other things. While Canada was a signatory, our government has never enforced it — which is why we are in Nestlé’s top 10 markets, despite our small, under-‐procreating population. In the film, a Toronto mom shows Weis a drawer-‐full of formula that arrived in the mail after her son was born. “I’m not too sure where they got my information from. I think maybe from the hospital,” she says. She then pulls out the tape hospital nurses used to measure her newborn. It has a formula brand name on it. And the bottles she picked up for free during her prenatal lessons — in the same hospital. Is there any wonder, then, that so many of us mothers get hooked on the stuff? If the hospital staff is giving it to you, it must be good! I phoned Linda Young to ask about this. She’s leading the Ontario government’s “baby-‐friendly initiative” in hospitals — essentially weaning them off formula and onto mothers’ breasts. She also heads the maternal and newborn department at Toronto East General Hospital, one of only three hospitals in the province that is certified as “baby friendly.” Hospitals lose money when they become “baby friendly,” Young said, not only because they have to start paying formula companies for their product. Here’s the insidious part. Formula companies often give hospitals money for every baby born there. The money from those “kickback contracts” can get pretty big, she said. They have to give that up, too. Maybe this is just more helpfulness on the part of formula companies. Hey, it’s a $25-‐billion (U.S.) market. They have money for baby presents! Or maybe they’ve hit on a brilliant strategy that ensures two in five new mothers leaving Toronto hospitals with their babies are already customers, with 1,000 days of shopping ahead. Young’s team has a formula-‐warning brochure in the works, similar to those white-‐tongue labels on cigarette packages. It will list the health risks of formula feeding: diabetes, asthma, celiac disease, childhood leukemia, etc. That’s a good idea. Except, without an alternative, it will seem just one more cluster bomb in the never-‐ ending mommy wars. Breastfeeding is not easy. My nipples were cracked and bleeding for weeks. And I was lucky — I didn’t need to tube feed or finger feed my children. We mothers need real help, not more guilt. Here’s a parting thought. In Brazil, there is a network of more than 200 human milk banks. Firefighters pick up donations from mothers’ homes.
Hot Docs 2015: What documentaries should you see at this year's fest? April 17, 2015
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐what-‐documentaries-‐should-‐you-‐see-‐at-‐this-‐ years-‐fest/article23733711/
Hot Docs 2015 is now under way! But with 210 documentaries from 44 countries to choose from, which ones will you see? Below, you can find the Globe's guide to what to see at the fest, which runs through May 3. You can sort reviews by title, rating, reader rating or date added. Check back here throughout the festival for updates and The Globe's take on the buzziest documentaries. The following mini-‐reviews of select films at Hot Docs 2015 are rated on a system of 0 to 4 stars. For detailed screening information see hotdocs.ca. Milk Noemi Weis World Premiere Country:Canada Length:90 minutes Stuffed with inspiring footage of childbirth and lactation around the world, this rather preachy film believes breast is best. It would seem an unnecessary message for any audience that is likely to view Milk, but apparently there’s still education to be done. About halfway, director Noemi Weis belatedly reveals that the infant-‐formula manufacturers are up to their old tricks. The most shocking story is about formula donated to the Philippines after the 2014 typhoon without regard for whether the recipients were bottle-‐feeding already. Destitute mothers would use up a three-‐month’s free supply and then be left without any means of feeding their babies. Milk has many stories to tell – several of which, such as the rebirth of wet nursing and the establishment of human milk banks, would make good docs in their own right – but Weis relies on earnest health officials or viewers themselves to connect the dots between topics such as maternity-‐leave policies or cesarean sections and the failure to breastfeed. In the end, Milk has much material but no clear theme. – Kate Taylor
Breastfeeding Perspectives From Around The World In MILK By: Sonya | April 4, 2015 http://urbanmoms.ca/entertainment/breastfeeding-‐perspectives-‐from-‐around-‐the-‐ world-‐in-‐milk/
As mothers, we all try our best to make the right choices for our babies. But with so much information circulating on what makes one a good mother, it’s no surprise that a lot of us are confused and often overwhelmed. This is especially true when the topic of feeding your baby comes up. Breast is best, we are told, but is it always? Try to imagine what a difficult task it would be, than, to attempt to understand what it means to be a good mother in terms of feeding in more than one culture. Mind. Blown. That is exactly what director Noemi Weis has done with her film MILK, a documentary that takes a look how women around the world decipher what’s best for themselves and their children. The film will make its World Premiere at the HotDocs Canadian International Documentary Festival (April 23 to May 3, 2015) in Toronto. Screenings will take place on Monday April 27 and Wednesday, April 29. We were lucky enough to speak with Noemi Weis about this upcoming release…
Why, after all these years, are we still trying to figure this whole feeding thing out? There is so much information and yet it still seems to conflict and cause confusion. All mothers want the best for their babies of course, but they are influenced by culture, their surroundings, family and society at large. As well, depending on the country they live in, they might have maternity leave, or perhaps a very short one, or none at all as is the case in the USA. All of this plays a big role in making the right decision as most mothers are working and either they want to go back to work or they need to work. And lastly, and perhaps the most important reason, it really depends on the doctor that is looking after them during pregnancy. Some doctors don’t discuss feeding at all. Most women around the world now depend on the information they find in the Internet, and that sometimes is confusing too. That’s when the conflict starts and women suffer a lot because of that. There is a lot of pressure from all ends and that’s why women are still trying to figure this out. When I gave birth to my two children, I don’t recall the hospitals encouraging or discouraging formal feeding, although they were definitely “pushing” breastfeeding. Any thoughts? Nowadays, most hospitals around the world would suggest breastfeeding as a first choice. The problem starts when the mother is having difficulties to breastfeed and the hospitals don’t have enough staff to support the mothers, so it is easier and faster for them to suggest formula. The mother is very vulnerable at this time and if she doesn’t have the right information or a good advocate beside her, she will give the baby formula and then when she wants to breastfeed, find that the process is much harder or end up with mastitis as I have heard so many mothers complain about… It is fundamental that all women do the right research and be informed before giving birth. They should be strong to stand up for what they want as, ultimately, it is their decision how to feed their babies. Some women love breastfeeding and found it very natural. What was your experience like? I breastfeed my two children and loved it. It was all very natural for me. I never thought of any alternative, although I was a working mom. Do you think it’s also based on a person’s cultural upbringing? Both my grandmothers thought breastfeeding wasn’t the better choice.
Definitely culture plays a big part in the decision-‐making. I am not surprised your grandmother thought breastfeeding was not the best choice as they probably are from the generation that did not breastfeed. When formula came to be, it was the best thing that was invented for mothers. They were told that now they would know what the baby is taking, they will be able to measure the intake and they could leave the baby with anyone as the baby would always be fed. There are still cultures, like France for example, who are much against breastfeeding. Now, since the Internet, it seems that mothers have found that [breastfeeding] is better for the baby. These French women are fighting the system and their family cultures. There is a lot of discussion about brands “marketing” formula but for areas of malnourished women, it seems like a godsend. What other options do they have? In underdeveloped countries, the best thing to do for those mothers is to inform them, support them and assist them to breastfeed. Using formula that they can’t afford, plus mixing it with water that is contaminated is a huge issue. According to UNICEF and WHO, there are still over 1 Million babies that die yearly because of lack of breastfeeding. The answer is to have governments add health support for these women, so they can breastfeed. It is the cheapest, cleanest and most cost efficient way for them. Especially when they tend to use very little formula so it will last them longer… What do you want us to understand about your film? There are a few things that I would like to bring awareness to: 1. I want viewers to understand that women have choices and they should be respected for that. 2. I want governments to recognize the importance of offering mothers maternity leave, which in some cases can be shared with the father. 3. I would like governments to establish strong sanctions against the improper marketing of formula, so mothers will be making their own choices but not a choice that is influenced by marketing. 4. I would like to bring awareness to the fact that doctors are not taught about nutrition, which is the first food of humanity. The whole medical profession lacks sufficient information and training when it comes to infant feeding and that should change. 5. And finally, I think that society at large should respect women to take care of their babies at this very critical point in their lives and not judge their decisions whatever it is, breastfeeding, bottle-‐ feeding, breastfeeding in public, etc. There is lot of judgment placed on women no matter what decision they make, and that should change. This is across the board, around the world. Here’s the trailer…
Toronto filmmaker Noemi Weis tackles infant nutrition in Milk By: Justin Skinner | April 16, 2015
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-‐story/5561765-‐toronto-‐filmmaker-‐noemi-‐weis-‐tackles-‐infant-‐ nutrition-‐in-‐milk/ Filmmaker Noemi Weis' documentary, 'Milk', looks at childbirth and infant nutrition from the perspective of a variety cultures.
Downtown Toronto-‐ based filmmaker Noemi Weis has thrown down the gauntlet in the battle of the breast. Her film Milk, which will be screened at the upcoming Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, takes an intimate, cross-‐ cultural look at childbirth and infant nutrition, looking at the commercial, societal and other issues that inform motherhood. Shedding a light on early child care and feeding in 11 countries, Milk showcases the myriad difficult decisions mothers face when bringing a new life into the world. “Amazingly, there’s not much difference between the different countries,” Weis said. “One of the things that really struck me when doing my research, though, was witnessing the influence of formula and how much that’s being pushed on some mothers, especially in emergency situations.”
Weis aimed to show a balanced view when it comes to infant nutrition, showing mothers who breastfeed and mothers who have decided that breastfeeding is not right for their children or their lifestyle. “What’s important is to support the mother in whatever her choice is, because no matter what she chooses, it’s more of a challenge when she’s not supported,” the filmmaker said. “If a woman decides (using formula) is better for her lifestyle and she’s properly informed, then that’s her choice.” Weis was surprised to find so much discourse – and so many conflicting and at times contentious viewpoints – surrounding breastfeeding. For Milk, she spoke with mothers, lactation consultants and medical experts to get as balanced a view as possible. She said that type of approach was necessary for such a universal and crucial subject. “It’s really something that touches all of us – we’re all parents or we know someone who is,” she said. “Because of that, people are very opinionated when it comes to the subject, and sometimes the advice a mother can get is overwhelming.” To ensure the best possible care for infants and mothers, Weis feels more education is needed, particularly in the medical profession. While doctors may be well-‐suited to make recommendations when it comes to childbirth, they are not often equally equipped to coach mothers on infant nutrition. “I definitely think a lot more attention has to be paid by schools of medicine when it comes to nutrition,” she said. “It needs to be more of a priority, because every baby should have the right to the best care and nutrition.” Information surrounding infant nutrition should be shared with mothers and to those around her to ensure they can provide the right support. Surprisingly, Weis found a larger cultural difference when it comes to actual childbirth than when it comes to nutrition. In some places, such as Sao Paolo, Brazil, Cesarean sections are the norm. “Sometimes, that’s a decision that a woman’s made on her own and sometimes it’s implanted in the culture,” she said. “It can certainly be easier for doctors, who can just schedule a Cesarean instead of having a mother go into labour at 12 o’clock at night and then having to spend maybe the next 20 hours with her.” Milk is the latest in a series of documentaries Weis has filmed, all of which tackle social issues. Through her production company, Filmblanc, she has touched on subjects ranging from child trafficking to domestic violence to the community-‐healing power of music. Milk will screen at the Hot Docs Festival at the Isabel Bader Theatre at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27 and again at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. For tickets or to see more of what’s on tap at Hot Docs 2015, visit www.hotdocs.ca.
Hot Docs 2015: This is Her Story (Three diverse films share the female perspective) By: Mallory Andrews | April 23, 2015
http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐this-‐is-‐her-‐story
The powerful connection between mother and child also concerns Noemi Weis. Founder of Filmblanc, an international production company based in Toronto, the Argentinian-‐born Weis has staked out a career making social issues and human rights films, working as a producer on documentaries like The Forgotten Woman (inspired by Deepa Mehta’s Water) and Desert Riders (about the trafficking of young boys– turned–camel racers in the Middle East). For her latest project, she interviewed and observed women from 11 countries and over 35 cities—from an indigenous community in Brazil to a typhoon-‐ravaged Philippines to young mothers in Toronto—to craft a universal tale of the struggle for the medical and social support of infant feeding in Milk. The production of Milk took place over the course of three years, during which Weis sought out women who were willing to share some of their most intimate moments with Weis and her small crew, including live births, both natural and cesarean. “I think that I was able to talk to the women as a mother myself, as a woman myself, understanding where they come from, why they feel how they felt.”
Ambitiously covering a topic with an international scope, Weis was at first unsure of how the film would take shape, and often had to be open to following the story wherever it took her. “With women it’s very wonderful because one woman tells you a story, but she also knows about another woman who has another story.” Forging trust with her subjects has always been Weis’s main concern. “That is something I’ve been able to do with all my films,” she explains from her office in downtown Toronto, “I speak in their own language, I speak many languages, I can relate to them. And when I could not speak the language, I made sure that [they knew the] intentions of why I was making the film and the reasons why their voices were important.” What the voices in Milk reveal are the strikingly similar difficulties that women face when it comes to the medicalization of breastfeeding. “There is very, very little understanding, and there’s very little education when it comes to the doctors themselves when it comes to nutrition and when it comes to mother’s milk.” While speaking with doctors and so-‐called lactation “experts” in North America and abroad, Weis found that there is little consistency with the information and advice being doled out to mothers. From getting reluctant babies to latch, to when to make the decision to bottle-‐feed, to the appropriate age for weaning, infant feeding has been warped from a natural biological instinct into the corporate regulation of women’s bodies. “There is a lot of judgment as well that is placed on women for what they do,” explains Weis, be it the body-‐shaming of public breastfeeding or the stigma of infant formula. It is Weis’s hope that Milk will change minds. “I think we have to bring awareness to the society at large: respect the choice of the women and allow them to do what they decide to do.”
Hot Docs: The Amina Profile, Missing People, Drawing The Tiger, Milk Reviews By: Jaqueline Valencia | April 23, 2015
http://nextprojection.com/2015/04/23/hot-‐docs-‐amina-‐profile-‐missing-‐people-‐drawing-‐tiger-‐milk-‐ reviews/ Milk (2015) Director: Noemi Weis If modern day debates about the lack of agency for women over their own bodies weren’t enough to make you angry, you’ve got Noemi Weis’s Milk to enrich it. The film takes a bold look at the politics of pregnancy, birthing, and breastfeeding. Weis weaves a narrative essay with the lives of various mothers or mothers to be around the world, along with doctors, experts, professors, and workers in breastfeeding and birthing professions. It’s a sobering look to realize how much the medical world intervenes during birth, preferring to get them out of the hospital quicker instead of providing an environment of patience that is conducive to both mother and child. Even more revealing are the shameless attempts by corporations to take over a women’s right to breastfeed her child. Instead of feeding the mother in disaster situations, corporations zoom donating and thereby, marketing bottled formula in any way they can. Although Weis provides an informative and compelling case for women’s birthing and breastfeeding rights, the film was a little disjointed in focus. However, this was of no detriment to the film’s argument. Weis’s lens is clear and engaging with strong visuals evoking how imperative it is to safeguard women, their choices, and in turn, their children.
Why is Bottle Feeding vs Breast Feeding Still So Polarizing By: Noemi Weis | April 27, 2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/noemi-‐weis/milk-‐hot-‐docs_b_7155368.html?utm_hp_ref=tw Having been involved for many years in a variety of social issues and human rights films, I wanted this time to reach back to the roots of Mother Nature and explore what happens when we receive a new life into this world. Few topics like one of the most basic functions of birthing and infant feeding polarizes people, governments and communities setting off an emotional and personal debate.
As a documentary filmmaker, I ventured into this topic with an open mind. I questioned why women need to justify themselves to almost everyone once they become a mother. From cultural influences to family opinion to just about everybody they meet, they all have an opinion on how she should give birth or feed her baby. I decided then to offer a platform to all those voices striving to present a balanced view. Milk shows mothers that breastfeed and mothers who have decided to bottle feed their babies. What's important is to support the mother in whatever her choice is as she knows what is best for her and her baby. The problem arises when that mother is not informed or she is not properly supported or when her decision is judged by society at large. The more I heard women's stories, the stronger was my conviction that their voices needed to be heard. I was compelled to hear that advocates from around the world, who have been working on protecting women for decades, were still battling on communicating truths on issues surrounding malnutrition and infant mortality. Even more surprisingly, was to learn how little awareness there is about the presence of packaged infant food in emergency and disaster areas around the globe.
As I talked to mothers from different countries, I realized that the problems and challenges they faced were similar, no matter what country, what culture or what language they spoke. They were all talking about the same issues, united by a strong feeling of motherhood that clearly had no borders. And, at the root, is the question that perhaps is still unanswered: When will women own their own bodies? It seems to me that science, in the name of science, has cut the wings to the natural process and that now we have to scientifically prove that natural things are valid when it comes to birth and infant feeding. This seems to be a very big contradiction, but unfortunately a reality. This is one of the reasons I decided to spend time in an indigineous community and see how they still receive a new life. Women's bodies have not changed, why is it then that there is a whole industry that awaits this baby before he is even born? My objective in creating and producing a film of this nature has been to bring the voices of the women themselves, these are their stories and their struggles. Milk offers a platform for awareness and conversation to hopefully provoke the needed changes. No mother should feel discouraged or put down because of the personal decision she has made. And that baby deserves the best treatment, the best nutrition and the best peaceful welcome. This new baby will be a better and healthier citizen.
Hot Docs 2015 Interview: Noemi Weis Talks about infant nutrition in Milk and the celebration of bringing a new life into this world By: Ulkar Alakbarova
http://moviemovesme.com/2015/04/27/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐interview-‐noemi-‐weis/ Every mother has a right to feed her baby the way she thinks is right. Can we stop her from doing what her heart says? What is the right thing to do when the numbers of infant mortality are climbing higher and higher? Unfortunately, not many things are being done to prevent it, for one simple reason; big corporations develop formula that is not suitable for infants and the misinformation on the label of milk products leads women, who have no education and access to the right information, think that the powdered milk is good enough for her infant – but kills the baby soon after. Noemi Weis touches upon one of the most important subjects of our time. The purpose of her documentary is to bring awareness to the issue of infant mortality and how this tragedy may be prevented. After all, without these little ones, there won’t be a future. And now as never before is the right time to fight for this cause any way we can. During the Canadian International Documentary Film Festival, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the director, Noemi Weis, who talked about ‘Milk’ and the importance of helping women by providing the right information. She also talked of how communities must help with education in order to prevent infant mortality… MovieMovesMe: You`ve touched upon a very sensitive subject. Can you talk about it`s urgency and the importance of spreading the word about it? Noemi Weis: I think that documentaries are usually about bringing awareness of certain issues that must be talked about. And my idea with this particular film is to raise awareness of the fact that women need to be supported, and that women don`t have the right information most of the time. Infant mortality is a global issue which still continues, and that everybody that is associated with the mother of a child, or who are in health care should be aware of as well. So the spectrum of people I would like to reach is pretty much everybody. And the reasons are, basically, that I would like to raise awareness so that more babies will live, hopefully in a better way, to have a better life in the future. MMM: What do you think we could do to prevent the distribution of formula milk that harms the health and puts the life of an infant in danger?
NW: You know, I have met a lot of people and advocates for this cause making this film, and advocates that have been working for more than 30 years who are trying to make a difference and one of them said something very important to me when I was interviewing him. I asked him why, over decades, you are still talking about an issue that should be so natural? And he said, “We need support from communities; we need support from people. We can talk, because we are advocates, we are doctors, we know the difference but it`s the community that should make a difference.” So, what I have done in this film is travel around the world to eleven countries, to bring forward the voices of the women themselves. They are all stories, stories that many, many women around the world can relate to; they can identify with. I think that the more we support them, the more we raise our voices as women we can make a difference. And I think that eventually if there are enough voices, and women are very strong, that the government will start listening, the industry will start listening, and I think everybody around will start to listen. MMM: Why do you think the media does not talk about this much if they know that all these chemicals with their unnatural nutrition is killing infants? NW: You mean in general? You know, I think that it stated in the film by one of the participants, Elisabeth Sterkens, very clearly. She is the director of Infact Canada, and I can quote her when she said that ‘there is a misconception to think that all the formula companies have, she says, a product/quota code, where they pull out their socks, and clean up theiract, but it`s not true. They continue to do their marketing, they continue to infiltrate products in the most incredible and creative ways to mothers around the world. And it is not just in the free world, it`s everywhere, even in Canada’. In the film I show a woman that lives in Toronto. She is a symbol of how information can be received directly from the company. And how did they get her name? – she said-‐ “From the hospital”. MMM: When you tell the story in this documentary film, you are not just delivering a message, but you also want the viewer to receive it accordingly. What do you think the viewer must learn from this story? NW: In an artistic way I think I wanted to bring the viewer back to the roots of Mother Nature. And sometimes, in order to do that, I have to go to extremes. I could have gone to film a homebirth with Delula, but I decided to go to the Indochina’s Community and show the basics, and how babies have been delivered for generations. I show in the film how knowledge has been passed from generation to generation, and nothing has changed. The woman`s body has not changed either. And one of the things I really wanted to make a statement about was the juxta position which is the natural way of bringing a baby into the world without the medical industry interference that is happening everywhere. And, I made that point very strongly just by going back and forth. When we filmed that delivery it was literally 24 hours that we were beside that mother. There was no sense of urgency and everybody just waited. I wanted the viewer to feel that. I go through that from beginning to end. This is a celebration of life. And I would like for everybody to really recognize that celebration of a life, instead of receiving that baby before he is born with the whole industry that waits for him, or her. And this is why I want everybody to celebrate the life that is born the way it should be. MMM: People tend to never learn from their mistakes. Do you think spreading the word, talking about this all day ,will help convince even an ignorant parent to stop feeding their infant with formula milk?
NW: I actually think that society has to respect the woman`s decision whatever her decision is. I think the most important thing is for the mother to be informed and to make her own decision because she knows what is best for her and her baby. And she will do her best to have a healthy baby. If her decision is to bottle-‐feed her baby, then we must respect that. If her decision is to breast-‐feed, then we must support her. I think the problem starts when the woman wants to breast-‐feed and she is not supported properly, and then she is frustrated because she does not get the help she needs. The problem starts when that woman makes her decision and decides what the best thing is for her and her baby. And, when she bottle-‐ feeds her child, everybody starts judging her. I think we have to stop judging everyone. I think that there has been a lot of work from generation to generation and new mothers who have worked so very, very strongly for feminism, to show that a woman needs a career, a woman needs to be equal to a man, a woman needs to be out there just like anyone else independent of gender. And I think that a woman who decides to become a mother now, is a very intelligent woman that has to make an informed decision about how she wants to feed her baby. We have to support and respect her no matter what her decision is. That`s very important. I think the main problem is when she is not supported . MMM: You talked about donating breast milk for people who are living in poverty; for those that have no choice but to use a cheap formula to feed their infant? NW: I think that the worse thing could happen is that this mother would be feeding the baby formula. She does not have money to buy the right formula, and as it is illustrated in the film, they buy the cheapest one. Some of them literally don`t read the label. They are buying a coffee whitener just because they don’t know how to read the label. And they don`t have money to buy any other milk, and then they dilute it with unsuitable water or do not sterilize it. What needs to happen is education and support in emergency areas. The shocking thing for me was to learn was that in an emergency situation these donations only come for a short time. They come for a few weeks or months. And, as it stated very well by one of the participants is that nobody understand the woman`s body. A woman`s body produces milk on demand. The more demand, the more milk she produces. The moment that she stops breast-‐feeding is the moment when there is no more demand for her milk. She dries up. Then, she thinks the powdered milk she is given is better. She is in an emergency situation and clearly thinks that any gift she is given is better than what she has. She has no confidence in herself. So what do we give her? We give her a powder, and in three weeks, or a month, she has nothing. She is left with nothing. And she has no money, and, no milk, which is worse. The baby then has no food and this is the cause of many deaths. There are lots of advocates who are willing to help, but this is not enough. The government needs to bring more people. The Government needs to give support with natural resources, with education, and with social workers that will be there to help these mothers because it`s cheaper for them. Screening Info: Monday, April 27th at 6:30 PM Isabel Bader Theater Wednesday, April 29th at 11 AM Isabel Theater
Milk Director Noemi Weis on the Business of Babies By: She Does The City | April 28, 2015 http://www.shedoesthecity.com/milk-‐director-‐noemi-‐weis-‐on-‐the-‐business-‐of-‐babies
The documentary MILK takes a universal and intimate look at the politics, commercialization and controversies surrounding birth and infant feeding featuring voices from around the globe. While formula companies work tirelessly to promote their wares overseas, here in Canada women continue to be shamed for breastfeeding in public. The doc raises concerns about formula donations in times of crisis (often causing the natural milk supply to dry up) as well as the practice of shooing women away to breastfeed out-‐of-‐sight. It touches on the medicalization of the birth process and the billion-‐dollar business it has become. Director Noemi Weis discussed MILK with SDTC. The doc screens at the Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles St W) tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. SDTC: What did you uncover when making this doc that surprised you? NW: The most surprising and moving situation I uncovered was to learn the problems that donations from formula companies cause in emergency situations. We traveled to cover the
aftermath of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and it was devastating to learn how these donations have caused such damage to mothers and babies. Mothers received a donation
during a very vulnerable moment in their lives, increased by a disaster they did not anticipate. They welcomed any type of gift thinking it was better for them and their babies. Later on they found out that these donations only lasted for a few weeks but by then they had no more breast milk and no money to buy more formula, causing their babies to become malnourished and many to die. This is not an isolated case in the Philippines or a developing country, but according to the nutrition experts working in the Emergency Nutrition Network, it is a global problem. I found it particularly disturbing to see coffee whiteners being used as ‘formula’ in the Philippines. In your opinion, what is the best way to put an end to this practice? The government needs to increase social assistance to help mothers with breastfeeding. The Philippines has a breastfeeding population, and if there was enough support to educate and assist these mothers, they would not turn to coffee whiteners. Some of them don’t know the difference and can’t read the labels to distinguish that they should not use that product. As well, the problem arises from the amount of marketing that exists. Mothers think this product is better than their own milk. More education and more support is needed. Breastfeeding significantly reduces infant mortality. In your opinion, what needs to happen in order to restore breastfeeding to its former position as the best way – particularly in the developing world? As I stated above, it is up to the government to protect their future population. I illustrate it in the film with the example of Kenya who just published their Demographic Health Survey results from 2014 showing that breastfeeding has risen from 32%to 61%! My reason for choosing a
country like Kenya as a symbol was to offer the audience the awareness of what can be done, especially when the example comes from a developing African country. If they can do it, so can the rest of the world that has more resources. Your doc touches a lot on the aspect of corporations donating shipments of formula to the developing world for disaster relief. Can you explain why this practice, while seemingly benevolent, is actually quite insidious?
When there is an emergency situation, people want to help but often don’t think of the potential consequences of this assistance. If the governments in those countries protected the Milk Code established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, they would not allow these milk donations to arrive, but there are a lot of invested interests and sometimes these are hard to overcome.
The whole birth industry has turned the process of having a baby into a big medical intervention that is augmented by massive beverage corporations trying to turn a profit. There is also a growing backlash, especially in the west, against this. What do you think is in store for the next generation of mothers in Canada? What about in the developing world? It seems to me that science, in the name of science, has cut the wings to the natural process and now we have to scientifically prove that natural things are valid. This seems to be a very big contradiction but unfortunately a reality. I decided to take the audience to a rural indigenous community to remind the public how things started and where they are now. Women’s bodies have not changed. It is important to remember and honour that. I think that mothers should be informed no matter where they live, they need to be strong to defend their position and everybody should respect that and support them. Education is the key for the success of future mothers and all health professionals. What was the most heartening aspect for you personally in making this film? As much as I promised to myself to be objective and not get carried away by the stories, I could not help but cry with all the women. The fact that they were willing to share their stories with the hope of change increased my responsibility to bring forward their voices and plead for change.
What was the most troubling thing you encountered while making this film? When I started researching, it was shocking to find out that advocates and experts who have been working for decades in making a difference to reduce child mortality were still battling to convince people that breastfeeding reduces child mortality rates. The figures published by WHO and UNICEF are heartbreaking and alarming. Witnessing first-‐hand when visiting these mothers and babies was emotionally very difficult for me.
If people want to learn more about this topic, where should we look? There are many organizations that publish numerous reports on this topic. Unicef, WHO and INFACT Canada to name a few.
Lets Celebrate Life: Interview with Noemi Weis Director of Milk By: Amanda Clarke | April 29, 2015 http://thetfs.ca/2015/04/29/lets-‐celebrate-‐life-‐interview-‐noemi-‐weis-‐director-‐milk/
Noemi Weis gives off an immediate impression of being a woman you want in your corner. Boasting a strong handshake and steady gaze that makes you feel like there is nothing she would rather be doing than chatting with you, she is a warm and passionate presence intent on raising awareness and changing the world. Her film Milk, which had its world premiere at Hot Docs 2015, was made with this ambitious goal in mind. The film takes us “to the beginning of life, to see how we receive babies into the world.” Weis hopes that by returning to the start of life, “maybe we can start resolving problems from the beginning, and that maybe, one day, [she] can retire without having to worry about any more social issues.” Milk was shot over three years covering eleven countries and thirty-‐five cities hoping to bring a global awareness to the social and political issues that surround birthing and infant feeding. While tackling this very personal and highly emotional subject, Weis took
a step back and tried to be objective, presenting the facts so women can make their own informed decisions about how to handle their pregnancy and the nutrition of their children once they are born. “Dealing with birth at first was the beginning of the film because you cannot talk about infant feeding without talking about birth. That I learned through the process of research.” Any problems with feeding start at the beginning, from the point where the woman becomes pregnant. “Either she’s supported, either she has the right information, the amount of interventions that she has, all of those effect the feeding process.” We need more women elected into power, we need more policy changers that will understand women’s bodies, so they know the damage that could be caused. The message of support is one that is central to Weis’s message. Women must support other women and men must respect and support women in their choices. Although the number of men included in the film can be counted on one hand, men are also an important component of the film’s intended audience. The lack of their voices onscreen isn’t representative of their lack of importance in the process of life, rather, Weis stresses, this is a film about the women, “the ones that would never have a chance to talk,” the ones who are the most venerable in our societies “no matter which country we live in.” Changing the mindset of men is a major goal in achieving this culture of support. Weis “thinks men should be in the audience. I think it would be great to have a screening just for men.” For this to happen, “we need more women elected into power, we need more policy changers that will understand women’s bodies, so they know the damage that could be caused.” The film presents the stories of many women from around the world. For Weis, each woman is a symbol. “They are symbols of many other voices, and that’s why they are not even identified with a name or a country, for the simple reason that I think that any woman can represent another woman, and many other women. It does not make any difference if the woman is in the Philippines or if it’s in Toronto,” the issues faced are the same. The women given voice in the film were all chosen “with very, very strong research behind them.” With so much footage from filming, the process to decide which stories to cut “was painful,” but the objective remained to touch on “the most important issues that we felt needed the most awareness.” The medicalization and the industry and the commercialization of birth and infant feeding have gone really far. Weis’s approach is very democratic. “I tried to be very objective and bring both sides of the coin. I don’t think that anybody should be preaching about anything.” She was very careful to not advocate a single position when discussing birth and infant feeding. Instead, she positions herself as a provider of facts and a pillar of support for mothers around the world. She is not interested in passing judgment. Instead, she believes that it is important to inform women who are prospective or new mothers of their options and then let them make their own informed choice “and once we know the facts, respect the intelligence of every woman.” It is very important not to undermine the woman in the third world country, “ because she is very intelligent.” Intelligence must not be
taken as synonymous with education. “If the woman has made a decision, that this is what she wants to do because it is best for her and it is best for her baby, she knows best and we must support her. I don’t think we should judge her or we should make her feel alienated. When we have a new mother she is extremely vulnerable because her hormones are working very strongly. As educated as she is, she still needs support and I think that is what we need to do—and inform them. It’s very, very important to inform them. If that woman has an informed decision, then it should be respected.” In the end, however, Weis sees Milk as “a celebration of life more than anything, and actually telling people, and the audience, let’s not forget that. The film starts by taking the audience through the birth canal, through the water. I went specifically to many locations in order to bring that feeling of going back to nature and into bringing this baby into this world together.” It is a story about tradition, about women and mothers as a community supporting one another. “There’s a lot of celebrations I would like to bring forward with this because the medicalization and the industry and the commercialization of birth and infant feeding have gone really far.” Milk is an attempt to counteract this. “It’s the gift of giving. I think that it’s a celebration to midwives. It’s a celebration to doulas. It’s a celebration to birth.”
Hot Docs 2015: What films you should see at this year's festival By: Jim Slotek | April 18, 2015
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/18/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐what-‐films-‐you-‐should-‐see-‐at-‐this-‐years-‐festival MILK: This movie about various outrages surrounding birth, breast-‐feeding and other motherhood themes is all over the place with issues that might not be equally cut-‐and-‐dried. For example, I agree that birth may be too medicalized, with more caesareans than necessary. But the fact that one of my sons probably wouldn’t be alive if he weren’t born at a hospital tempers my opinion. On the other hand, Nestle coffee whitener being the “formula” of choice for poor mothers in the Philippines is an undeniable atrocity. Hard to get that image out of my head.
Noemi Weis Documentales Pueden Hacer Una Diferencia By: OLÁGUER CHACÓN MALDONADO | May 1, 2015 http://www.torontoentero.ca/noemi-‐weis-‐los-‐documentales-‐pueden-‐hacer-‐una-‐diferencia/
Noemi Weis en la Premier de MILK
Noemí Weis está presentando en Toronto su más reciente documental: Milk, un trabajo que nos muestra como algo tan natural como dar a luz y amamantar termina siendo transformado e incluso deformado por intereses económicos, en diferentes partes del mundo, no solo en naciones en vías de desarrollo, altamente vulnerables a las presiones de las grandes empresas, sino también en países desarrollados como Estados Unidos. Noemi Weis en la Premier de MILK La argentino-‐canadiense Noemí Weis es una documentalista dedicada a los Derechos Humanos y la justicia social; “mi intención es usar los documentales para dar a conocer temas que deben saberse, para que la gente pueda hablar de esos temas y con eso tratar de hacer una diferencia”. La documentalista nos comentó que las mujeres y los niños son protagonistas frecuentes ya que son altamente vulnerables, así como otros grupos como los homosexuales. Eso lo podemos ver en documentales como:Gloriuosly free que trata de darle una voz a las comunidades gays del mundo; Let´s talk about it (hablemos), centrado en la violencia doméstica; The Forgotten Woman, sobre las viudas de la India; Abuelas, sobre el movimiento Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo, en Argentina; Desert Riders, que trata del tráfico de niños en los países árabes a fin de convertirlos en jinetes en las carreras de camellos;
Teaching the Life of Music, sobre el Sistema de Orquestas Sinfónicas de Venezuela y su impacto fuera de Venezuela. Para Noemí Weis, el trabajo con documentales es apasionante ya que le permite la oportunidad de sensibilizar al público sobre temas de interés mundial, aunque a veces se torna un trabajo duro porque los documentales nunca mueren, los temas que allí se denuncian persisten. Sin embargo, eso no detiene su esfuerzo por seguir concientizando al público. Su nuevo trabajo, “este nuevo bebé”, como Weis se refiere a Milk, está siendo estrenado en el marco del Festival HotDocs, que se realiza en Toronto entre el 23 de abril al 3 de mayo. ¿Cómo fue el proceso de investigación para este documental? “Llevo trabajando 3 años en este proyecto, para el que entrevisté mujeres alrededor del mundo, con el propósito de encontrar las voces más fuertes, de mujeres que pudieran hablar por ellas y por muchas otras, y también las mujeres que nunca tuvieron la oportunidad y que ahora la tendrían. Encontré mucho apoyo ya que las mujeres son muy solidarias cuando creen en algo”. De las historias que recopilaste, ¿cuál fue la que más te impactó? “Para mí lo más impactante fue ver que las organizaciones como la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), la Unicef, así como otros organismos mundiales que vienen trabajado en la promoción de la lactancia materna por décadas, siguen luchando como si fuera ayer que empezaron, por lo que pareció importante también dar a conocer lo que están haciendo, ya que es un tema tan delicado como la lucha contra la mortalidad infantil”. “También me impactó –continúa– cuando estuve en Filipinas, luego del tifón Yolanda o Hayan (como le dicen en inglés), cómo las mujeres especialmente vulnerables, con un muy limitado acceso a recursos, y encima viviendo una situación de catástrofe, recibieron donaciones muy limitadas. Algunas de estas donaciones, como el caso de la leche, solo les duró entre 3 a 4 semanas, para luego encontrarse que estaban devastadas, sin dinero y sin más leche”. Allí está uno de los puntos más polémicos del documental, el impacto de la industria de alimentos en la lactancia materna; una industria que puede aparecer en circunstancias excepcionales como el Tifón de Filipinas en noviembre del 2013, o con el apoyo de los gobiernos: “Y digo muy claro en el documental que los gobiernos son grandes responsables, por ejemplo, en 1981 la OMS estableció una convención que limita la promoción de alimentos para bebés solo para casos realmente necesarios, pero no establece sanciones, por lo que son los gobiernos los que no aplican esta norma. En Kenia, en el 2012, se implementaron sanciones en el marco de esta norma y los resultados se pueden ver, la lactancia materna ha subido en un 61%, quiere decir que están reduciendo la mortalidad infantil. Si lo puede hacer Kenia ¿por qué no el resto del mundo?”. Invitamos a nuestros lectores a seguir el trabajo de Noemí Weis y de su productora FilmBlanc, así como asistir al festival HotDocs para disfrutar de impactantes trabajos como Milk.
Hot Docs 2015 Review: Milk
By: Anthony Marcusa | April 20, 2015
http://scenecreek.com/hot-‐docs/hot-‐docs-‐milk/
With warmth and sensitivity, Milk explores breastfeeding around the world, from those that champion it to those who have no access to it. This tender though confident film by Noemi Weis globe trots to hear stories, dispel stigmas, and fight against companies making money promoting unsafe formulas in spite of breastfeeding. Weis interviews women from around the world who open up to a topic most intimate and important, and something oft ignored or disregarded. There are those with little access to education and healthy options, while elsewhere there are women inundated with propaganda. Still other are shunned for their decisions. Though sweeping in scope, the film also feels intimate to its great benefit. We travel to villages around the globe where women who can’t breastfeed have to seek it from other nursing women or failing that, are forced to buy only the cheapest substitute. There is a connection with everyone that is talked too, and that’s perhaps because they are so often seen with child. Milk becomes a harsh criticism on the commercial baby food industry, but never at the expense of the deeply personal stories it tells, including those of women who were subject to C-‐sections instead of natural births because of hospital efficiency. The doc also talks to a local politician who became the first woman in her position, and so when she became pregnant, there was no paid leave or family plan in place. It’s still the light, emotional touch that makes Milk refreshing, despite it’s disturbing revelations. It never diminishes those it interviews, and looks to bring together everyone for an important cause instead of trying to create unnecessary friction. This exploration of childbirth and motherhood pairs lyrical beauty with poignant information, infusing stories and one particular powerful piece of poetry to tell an important message.
HOT DOCS 2015 By: Gilbert Seah | April 21, 2015
http://afrotoronto.com/articles/67-‐movies/1369-‐hot-‐dos-‐2015
MILK celebrates the miracle of breast feeding milk. Weis’ documentary that takes audiences all over the globe into all 5 continents appears aimless at the start but begins to make sense from the mid section onwards. Weis brings in as many topics as she can regarding breast milk from midwifery to the abuse by conglomerates selling infant formula (brought under control finally by governments after massive infant mortality rates in Africa, India and Pakistan) to the human milk banks in Brazil. Certain facts are disturbing such as the ignorant Filipino mothers who substitute coffee whitener for milk. But most of what Weis puts on screen is already known one way or other )the topic of abuse of infant selling companies was covered extensively in a previous doc) except for a few facts here and there. Still, it is beneficial that a filmmaker so dedicated to the health of babies and hence human beings makes a film that brings everything regarding the topic of mother’s milk together. (World Showcase) Screenings: Mon Apr 27, Wed Apr 29
MILK By: Susan G. Cole | April 22, 2015
https://nowtoronto.com/movies/hot-‐docs-‐2015/milk_1/
MILK (Noemi Weis, Canada). 90 minutes. Rating: NNN When it's on the topic -‐ profit-‐seeking corporations pushing infant formula on mothers who don't need it -‐ Milk rocks. That's true especially when director Naomi Weis's crew travels to the Philippines, where cash-‐strapped mothers of infants were provided post-‐cyclone with formula and found their breast milk had dried up when the formula ran out. But the pic skates over the medicalization of the birthing process and the absence of maternity leave benefits in the U.S. (Don't go there if you can't put some meat on the argument.) And Weis has a bad habit of taking us places without naming them. There's very little new here (except a killer spoken word piece from Holly McNish and a few references to social media), and that's bad for those of us who battled big bad Nestlé 30 years ago. But the fact that the problem still remains gives Milk urgency. Apr 27, 6:30 pm, Isabel Bader; Apr 29, 11 am, Isabel Bader.
Milk, A Film by Noemi Weis By: Judecast | April 23, 2015
http://judecast.com/2015/04/23/milk-‐a-‐film-‐by-‐noemi-‐weis/ Milking the System If you’ve ever heard the expression “the first one’s free” you’ll understand the connection between your local crack dealer and the baby food Goliaths who prey on vulnerable women and children around the globe. In filmmaker Noemi Weis’ stunningly shot documentary, Milk, we are given a detailed picture of how society has turned birth into a global industry. One of the film’s stories focuses on the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines where a culture of breastfeeding that had been in place for centuries was ripped away with homes and livelihoods. Baby food corporations saw a way to capitalise on the tragedy and quickly swooped in with powdered milk donations. The giant corporations gave the financially strapped mothers just enough formula to get them hooked and then cut off their free supply. In one of the film’s many poignant moments a group of young mothers who are no longer able to lactate confess to feeding their babies the only affordable “milk” they can access, a product that is the equivalent of coffee whitener. These marginalized women know that it is not a real substitute but they are desperate to feed their children something. The impact formula companies have in disaster zones is the most troubling, but Weis notes that mothers everywhere, no matter what their country, culture or language are all struggling with the breastfeeding disconnect. As Canadian lactation consultant Edith Kernerman puts it, “We’re all undereducated when it comes to breastfeeding. No one is trained. We undermine mothers. We disempower them.” Milk has its world premiere MONDAY, April 27th at Hot Docs, 2015
HOT DOCS 2015 REVIEW: MILK By: Amanda Clarke | April 26, 2015
http://thetfs.ca/2015/04/26/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐review-‐milk/
Director Noemi Weis looks at the worldwide politics that surround the bodies of mothers, taking particular interest in the practices of birthing and breastfeeding. Simultaneously a celebration of birth and motherhood, an attempt to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and a crusade against the formula companies, Milk is simply trying to do too much at once. All the elements covered are related, but in an effort to fit it all in, the information about the formula companies becomes a bit of an information dump. The end result is that the film identifies a knowledge gap but takes very few steps to actually fill it. That said, where Milk does succeed is in how it represents a celebration of life and motherhood and the bonds between women and mothers, mothers and their children. Rarely are women celebrated in such a beautiful and grounded way for simply being women and it’s in these moments of connection that Milk soars. Too bad it gets bogged down in an anti-‐capitalist crusade. IS MILK ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL VIEWING? If it fits in your Hot Docs schedule, I’d say give Milk a look, but don’t go out of your way. MILK SCREENING TIMES • Monday, April 27, 2015 – 6:30 pm – Isabel Bader Theatre • Wednesday, April 29, 2015 – 11:00 am – Isabel Bader Theatre
Hot Docs 2015: Milk By: Jess Rogers | April 26, 2015
http://cinemaaxis.com/2015/04/26/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐milk/
The most fundamental thing we all still have in common is that at some moment in time we were born. In fact, we celebrate it every year. That being said, there might not be a more controversial topic, with no correct answer, than giving birth and breastfeeding. Noemi Weis’ Milk, a clear labor of love that does not attempt to convince anyone of anything, looks at the many different ways people experience being pregnant, giving birth and feeding their children. One of the many images that Milk gives us is that many, if not most, people have a series of misconceptions about what giving birth is like. Weis succeeds in showing that, despite the enormous range of experiences, there is still a lack of transparency regarding the birthing process. Several pregnant women are followed throughout the film including a young, but surprisingly mature, 15 year-‐old American girl trying to find an agency to create a birth plan. There is also a young woman of the Pankararu tribe in Eastern Brazil who is being followed by a local midwife. Seeing them, along with others, on the pre-‐ natal side highlights the different options available to women when it comes to
giving birth. It also demonstrates that many of those options go out the window when the reality of their individual birth experience arrives. Weis also documents some new moms as they make choices about how to feed their children. These stories have some of the most heartbreaking and enraging moments. Like almost every part of our life experience, someone has figured out how to industrialize motherhood and make us feel guilty about it. Around the world profit seeking governments and corporations are attempting to convince women that they should be using nutritious formula instead of breast feeding. It has gotten to the point countries like Kenya have instituted laws preventing companies from saying that formula is better than breast milk. As health experts in Kenya, Canada and the US have documented in their research, there are several issue associated with blindly promoting formula as the best feeding option. Considering that formula usually has to be mixed with water to make milk, and there isn’t always a guarantee of safe drinking water around the world, these companies seem guilty of encouraging people to harm their own children. The heartbreaking part is that when women decide to use this formula, they can no longer freely breastfeed, which means if they have no more money to purchase formula, they can no longer feed their baby. Probably the coolest thing I learned from Milk was the notion of milk banks. If you’ve ever read historical fiction, you’ll probably have come across the concept of the “wet nurse.” The term essentially refers to the hiring of someone who recently gave birth, and is lactating, to feed another woman’s child. This concept is alive and safely mechanized. A fire department in Brazil has collected, pasteurized and distributed donated breast milk for more than 25 years. The absolute best reason to see Milk, and no matter who you are you should watch this movie, is the spoken word performance by a new mom, Hollie McNish, toward the end of the 90 minute run. An award-‐winning artist in Europe, McNish summarizes the entire issue with profound understanding using her own experience as a mother trying to navigate the social niceties, economic demands, and maternal joys of motherhood. Screens Monday, April 27, 6:30 PM, Isabel Bader Theatre Wednesday, April 29, 11:00 AM, Isabel Bader Theatre
Hot Docs 2015: Milk review By: Greg Klymkiw | April 27, 2015
http://klymkiwfilmcorner.blogspot.ca/2015/04/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐milk-‐review-‐by-‐greg.html
Milk (2015) Dir. Noemi Weis Review By Greg Klymkiw I have to admit that Milk was a huge eye-‐opener for this fella and might well have a similar effect upon millions upon millions of people. On the surface, the film seems like a fairly standard, straightforward look at motherhood -‐ most notably in the area of breast-‐feeding. As the film progresses, it is so much more. The picture touches
upon areas like midwifery versus traditional medical birth methods, but in many ways this is the springboard needed to jettison us into the shocking and sickening misuse and abuse of women's bodies and by extension, those of their newborn babies. Once again, corporate interests are promoting extremely unhealthy practises all in the name of profits. What I personally learned was the extent to which the commercial baby food industry held sway over women worldwide -‐ especially in the area of promoting milk supplements instead of good, old fashioned breast milk. Frankly, I just assumed all babies were breast-‐fed except in rare instances where milk supplements were the only route to take. Unfortunately the marketing and lobby of corporate pigs is so strong, that kids are being fed powdery packets of poison and chemicals because safety and convenience play such a huge part in the selling of said supplements. One of the more appalling examples of the lengths to which infant formula manufacturers will go to are presented by their purported altruism wherein they donate their product in far-‐flung reaches of the planet which have been decimated by natural disasters or war. Mothers and their babies get hooked on the crap, and then, the companies having not provided enough donations of formula, force families to pay for more of it in the supermarkets. Some families are so destitute they seek alternate forms of powdered food which end up being much cheaper. And you know what? As the jingle goes, "Coffee Mate, tastes great, Coffee Mate makes your cup of coffee taste GREAT!" The last time I checked, synthetic coffee cream powders are not food, but are fed to babies anyway. The marketing of said product does little to dispel the notion that it can be used successfully. Milk goes well beyond its TV doc roots and delivers a powerful, insightful look at this detestable exploitation and does so across five continents. The scope is wide; as it should be in the case of children and what they're (force) fed during their earliest years. THE FILM CORNER RATING: *** Three Stars Milk will have its World Premiere at HOT DOCS 2015. For schedule and tickets, visit the Hot Docs website HERE.
Reel Talk: Must See Films at HotDocs 2015 By: Sonya Davidson | April 16, 2015
http://www.torontoisawesome.com/the-‐arts/film/reel-‐talk-‐must-‐see-‐films-‐at-‐hotdocs-‐2015/ Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is North America’s largest documentary film festival and conference returns for its 22nd edition here in Toronto. From April 23 to May 3, 2015 the Festival will screen 210 docs from 45 countries. Screenings will take place in various theatres across the city. For complete list of screenings and tickets go to www.hotdocs.ca Here are a few films that we’ve added to our screening schedule… Milk: Directed by Noemi Weis. Canada. World Premiere. Through an intimate and artistic lens, Milk brings a universal perspective on the politics, commercialization and controversies surrounding birth and infant feeding over the canvas of stunningly beautiful visuals and poignant voices from around the globe. Inspiring, informative, provocative and sensitive, Milk celebrates bringing a new life into this world with a strong call to action and reflection.
Hot Docs 2015: ‘Elephant’s Dream’ and ‘Milk’ By: Addison Wylie | April 23, 2015
http://wyliewrites.com/hot-‐docs-‐2015-‐7/#more-‐5413 Milk (DIR. Noemi Weis)
By: Shannon Page Are Western practices regarding pregnancy and birth oriented so much toward a business-‐based model that the best interests of mothers and infants are neglected? Noemi Weis’Milk attempts to provide an answer to this question while also offering a universal perspective on the politics and controversies surrounding birth and infant-‐feeding.
Though Milk is visually stunning, it seems uneven. The film’s discussion of infant formula and the ways that it is marketed across the globe could be an entire documentary on its own. The placement of this call to action alongside interviews with new and expectant mothers (formula and breast-‐feeders alike) doesn’t manage to strike a great balance between the personal and political sides of the problem. Ultimately, it ends up feeling a bit like a missed opportunity. Despite the setbacks, the issues at the heart of Weis’ film are important ones, whether the viewer agrees with Milk’s potentially controversial stance on public breast-‐feeding and natural birthing practices or not. It remains to be seen whether audiences that aren’t personally invested in the nuances of these issues will be able to stay engaged long enough to truly internalize the ideas that this film presents.
All pictures taken by GAT during the festival are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97627695@N03/sets/721576522 52215091
Publicity handled by GAT PR