We Feed People

We Feed People (2022) is about the Spanish born chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, the organisation he founded. It goes into disaster zones and cooks; the documentary starts with the Haiti earthquake and runs through Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and the pandemic. Its best material is an argument about method. Andrés's approach collides with that of the large aid agencies: he wants to start cooking immediately, they want assessment, logistics and approval. The film sides with him while showing what it costs; he shouts constantly and the people around him wear out. Puerto Rico is the clearest example. After Hurricane Maria the team served millions of meals on the island without waiting for official process. Ron Howard directed. He was making documentaries in quick succession in this period, and the method is the same here: broad access, a warm portrait, limited critical distance. It was made for Disney+ and released in May 2022. It runs 89 minutes. Good for: disaster relief, stories about food and organisation, and José Andrés. Less good for: the film approaches a critique of his personality and never enters it. Funding, the handling of donations and the institutional side of the organisation go almost entirely undiscussed. The disaster footage is hard.