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home and local food The Lie Of The LandThe following is an edited version of a Review by Fran (frazzel@riseup.net , forwarded to: diggers350@yahoogroups.com, January 11, 2008 ) of Molly Dineen’s documentary film, The Lie Of The Land, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 3 May 2007, see Molly Dineen’s latest, and repeated on Channel 4 on 8 January 2008, prompting this review.
The documentary film The Lie of the Land was shown on Channel 4 on 8 January. Molly started with filming the Countryside Alliance demo, and then stated that she wanted to see what life was like for Britain’s farmers. She stayed with some farmers who had smallholdings. One farmer had the odious job of driving around with a pickup truck, arriving at farms to take away the dead animal (mostly cattle) carcasses which were then given to the redundant fox hunting hounds to eat. On several occasions, he was required to shoot a bullet in the head of a sick animal. Several times this was done because the owner couldn’t afford the vet’s bills for healing the sick animal. On other occasions, even a healthy calf was killed simply because it was economically unviable for the owner to keep them. This was shocking to watch.
The points raised in the film were:
The weakness of the film was that she didn’t go on to challenge DEFRA or the government, and she didn’t investigate whether or not the government policy is in part due to EU directives, or the WTO. She failed to analyse why Britain’s farming is being deliberately ‘run down’, and she didn’t raise the arguments for more food self-sufficiency. However, it was an informative film as we got to see how many British farmers feel totally let down and ignored by the government. As one farmer said, this is a Labour government but instead of supporting the small farmer, everything about the government is designed to help the larger landowner, since they, with their stately homes, are the ones eligible for subsidies from DEFRA.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King
When the documentary film was first broadcast, the Channel 4 website included the following (Molly Dineen’s latest):
Becca Frankel 3 May 2007, 10:38 AM
Molly Dineen has been working on tonight’s documentary – The Lie of The Land – for a number of years. It’s a topic close to her heart, and it will morn the disappearance of traditional British rural life. Her premise: farms are closing as cheap food is routinely imported from abroad, resulting in a loss of standards in the food we [disconnected urbanites] consume, and the end of a national industry which is become financially unfeasible to continue sustaining.
Nationally produced food is something we should be campaigning for, by being prepared to pay what the food is actually worth. Powerful supermarket chains have artificially driven down the costs to such a degree that, proportionally to our salaries, food has never been cheaper historical. There are two FourDocs exploring this topic – with very different approaches and styles. The animated 3 Minutes to Save the World looks at food miles and their destruction nature; whilst the observational Longhorn Jim-March, sees, sees the farmer trying to sell his premium beef cuts to a discerning hotel restaurant.
Molly Dineen is one the UK’s most prominent female directors, and this documentary puts her right back where she is most comfortable – with strong traditional male characters seeped in notions of heritage and class. Her last film – The Lord’s Tale (2002) – is about the abolishment of hereditary peers in the House of Lords. You can watch her previous film, Geri (1999), which breaks with her usual subject matter, for free on the FourDocs site. Molly also gave us a great interview about the way she works, which is in our Film Makers section.
The Lie of the Land is feature length, on Channel 4 tonight 9 – 10.30pm. Let us know what you think of it
Posted by Issyzach on 4 May 2007, 8:38 PM
Will lie of the land be shown again and if so when and which channel? Absolutely fascinating and about time the public were woken up and made aware of the situation
Posted by MsCrow on 4 May 2007, 10:59 PM
Far too much emphasis on the hunting aspect that left many other important issues such as the legislation, decoupling, the need to cull animals, supermarkets and the dislocation of consumers as mere mentions. I hope that this theme can be returned to, in a similar hard reality to explain these more intricate issues, less the animal saving wanabee stay in self righteous darkness.
Posted by WalterM on 8 May 2007, 1:46 AM
A brilliant piece – when will it be broadcast again?
Posted by tomcoles on 8 May 2007, 2:01 PM
A truly fanatic piece of work Molly, simple, straight to the point questions! And also a very big well done to the farmers involved (interviewees). A very good insight into what a crippled state this country is getting its self into. (Hope to see a follow on soon of the supermarkets involvement in killing the industry) I think that every member of the rural community owes Molly a very big thank you for finally bring this topic to our screens. Tom Coles
Posted by LJDHolt on 8 May 2007, 4:51 PM
Great work. Wish you could do the same for the glasshouse industry-we’re struggling to get planning permission to grow tomatoes in a horticultural area-Vale of Evesham as it is out of character with the rest of the landscape and too big. Only our competitors abroad will be laughing!
Posted by crazyhorse1990 on 8 May 2007, 10:32 PM
Great documentary. But feel that there was perhaps too much emphasis on the hunting aspect. More on the production of food in Britain, and how the governments and supermarket have pushed farmers out of the business would have been good. It differed to similar documentaries in letting the interviewees have their say, wasn’t heavily edited to suit a purpose. Highlighting issues that many aren’t even aware of.
Posted by Hoople on 9 May 2007, 11:43 PM
I hope it will be re-broadcast soon. Reflects the reality of the state of livestock farming in Britain.
Posted by MarkByrne on 11 May 2007, 2:44 PM
Fantastic work. Very informative and a real eye opener. This type of programme should form part of the national curriculum and be mandatory viewing for all. When will we all wake up the disastrous effect supermarkets are having on our society? Our selfish pursuit of ‘convenience’ is killing our country. It will soon be too late to reverse the decline agricultural heritage. With it will go our national identity. What else can we do to show support for our farmers? Keep up the good work.
Posted by joansimpsonuk on 17 May 2007, 2:50 PM
Channel 4’s Lie of the Land documentary maker to be quizzed at the RSA. Following a screening at the RSA on Monday 21 May at 6.30pm, Dineen will talk to former editor of The Independent, Rosie Boycott, about Britain’s rural economy and traditional way of life. To book a place at the meeting email rebecca.pyne-AT-rsa.org-DOT-uk
Posted by Zinc2 on 18 May 2007, 3:38 PM
It was good, but it was too unquestioning for me. Having seen a number of similar docs I want to know the solutions. Another good one in a similar vein was Storyville – A Very English Village – http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/very-english-village.shtml Compassion in World Farming have more info. on the subject, here’s a related press release http://www.ciwf.org/home/news_fate_of_dairy_calfs.shtml
Posted by starski1 on 30 May 2007, 2:38 AM
Having moved from the countryside I grew up in I’m so glad a documentary has been brought to light showing the real costs of farming. The majority of the people of cities and towns are oblivious of how any of there food arrives on their plates, and disconnect themselves from the life and death of the food they eat. Its proof of how supermarkets destroying the farming and the British countryside, I only hope this programme will make a difference and open the publics eyes and just think for a moment before they tuck into their next meal..
Posted by bkew on 3 June 2007, 12:28 PM
Misplaced sympathies. Out of date. Honest sustainable future must do away with the cruelty and stupidity of animal-based agriculture.
Posted by tina-louise on 8 January 2008, 12:11 AM
Truth is ugly but this made clear that what we perceive as wrong and ugly ie: fox hunting...is nothing when compared with the brutality of the harm cheap imported foods and greedy supermarkets have inflicted. The public need to have more access to truths like this – more reason to do the right thing and use our power to change this. It is OUR money that powers the supermarkets and although buying fair is more inconvenient or expensive (farm shops, local etc.)...perhaps we need to weigh our priorities and sacrifice something of less value in order to continue to support home grown, humane farming. This exceptional documentary revealed that the biggest culprit is the government – their incompetence and bureaucracy make a mockery of sanity.
Posted by slowleys on 9 January 2008, 12:52 AM
I’m pro hunting, I work my lurchers and shoot. The idiot dispatching the calfs did nothing for the pro hunt lobby. Good job it was shown late and not at prime time TV!!!
Posted by slowleys on 9 January 2008, 1:08 AM
I feel angry and upset after watching this programme tonight I have lived and worked the countryside all my life and feel that some of the people you have filmed do no justice to the working people of this community to dispatch the calf in front of another calf soon to meet his demise is not only cruel but adding fuel to the fire of the anti hunting veggies amongst us, I am not a vegetarian I live and work in the countryside and I own 2 working dogs, I have own horses and I think your choices of “country men” leave a lot to be desired for god’s sake it’s hard enough as a farmer to make a living why show numskulls doing stupid acts to irritate any normal person, during your filming one farmer talked about the stress and upset to the livestock caused by transport and then his staff caused stress to the animals’ legs by trapping them in the doors of the transport wagon.........also he talked about the dispatch being instant so how come your original calf was still moving 5 minutes after hmmm muscle reflex maybe or an inaccurate shot!!!!!!! as my husband has said previously GOOD job it was shown so late GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER this is not the way to be pro countryside by showing a handful of NUTTERS the country will all end up as veggies
Posted by eddlovatt on 9 January 2008, 9:29 AM
As to your previous comment slowleys, if what you say is true and you have lived and worked in the countryside all your life, then you of all people should know that these “numskulls” know what they are doing probably better than you! You quite obviously have never shot anything, because they continue to have involuntary nerve reflexes, or spasms for up to ten minutes after the shot, some do some don’t. It is not an inaccurate shot, what a ridiculous thing to say. It is what those people do for a living and it is not right what they are having to do. So show some support for the rural life and stop whining, its as bad as those who don’t know what they are talking about. We need more support and more people to realise the truths, which this documentary portrays. So let’s back our countryside and get more people aware of what the Government and Supermarkets are doing to drive the way of rural life away
Posted by lushkins on 9 January 2008, 2:02 PM
I live and work on a farm in Devon. This documentary was an accurate portrayal of what goes on in the countryside. All my family from both sides are farmers. My Dad is a beef and sheep farmer, and my uncle, my Dad’s brother is a dairy farmer. Beef and sheep farming has not changed as much as Dairy farming over the last 10-20 years. Dairy farming had to change, there is no value in bulls born from a dairy cow so they are shot. My uncle and Dad used to farm together (they never got on so had to split) and kept everything because there was value and money to be made. But it is because of the supermarkets, their reluctance to cut their huge profit margins and pay the farmer more, and there insistency to import products, that the farmer is driven to do this. Contrary to belief the vast majority of farmers do care for their animals, my Dad is actually sad to see his cattle go to market, but at the same time is proud of how well he looked after them. The same I doubt could be said for the cattle ranches in Brazil and Argentina. My Dad is lucky in the fact that he has another source of income. He is part of a charity which allows city children form the age of 9-12 to come and work on the farm for a week. Its surprising how little the know, they think that milk originates from a supermarket as does an egg etc...
Posted by Tony132 on 9 January 2008, 8:16 PM
Great documentary, could have done with a bit more on the incompetencies of DEFRA and the idiotic laws in place – thank god those terriers did not catch a mouse (now illegal)! I think a second part to the show should be made, focusing on the arable side and the future of shooting and other country sports, i understand that is now illegal on the cross compliance scheme to shoot wild animals on pheasant shoots, including pigeons and magpies! All in all though, a refreshing kick in the nuts/guilt trip, or indeed lesson in what goes on behind the scenes for the supermarket shopper! More please Molly!
Posted by TheNorfolkOracle on 11 January 2008, 7:30 PM
This program only strengthens my dislike for commercial farming how we see it today. All they seem to think about is me me me not what is best for wildlife, their animals or the majority of the nation who are squeezed into 5% of Britain. Farming should be part of the countryside not all of it, people talk about fields as countryside whereas I call habitat countryside. Farmers have ripped out millions of miles of hedges, made 8-10 small fields into one uber field, destroyed most of the habitat & then who do they blame for the mess it’s in, oh yes that would be the poor old fox, the magpie, the crow, come on...IT’S YOU! According to the NFU 80% of Britain, who’s national animal is the red fox, is farmland. Listen, that’s 50% too much for my liking. Now the NFU are saying they can’t produce enough food, well you’ve got all the land you’re getting & to be honest we want a lot of that back so what have you done?? In the 80’s we had food mountains, now there’s not enough??, doesn’t seem like it with all the fat people. Last series the guy was trying to justify hunting with hounds as he couldn’t kill a fox with one shot with his gun, wakey wakey, how about this, leave the fox alone, what a great symbol of survival in the face of great adversity the fox is. We should work out how many people can live in this country using 50% of the land total inc living, farming & enough for every family to have half to one acre instead of these stupid little plots/houses/gardens we have now, we as in working class, not we as in farmers & other land owners. Farmers have made a right mess of our countryside & the animals that lived there, well done! We shouldn’t need reserves, millions of pheasants being imported or reared, we should have it all already. Someone else said about shooting the calf in front of the other & quite right too, shows you what these people are like, if there’s not enough money to do the job properly then don’t do it. I really didn’t realise the offshoot of dairy products is millions of unwanted animals, barbaric, humans are clever!! How exactly?? The horse he shot last episode I take it he doesn’t know it’s more humane to have them euthanised, shooting them is old hat & we all know you can be shot in the head & live, not a lot of the time but sometimes. The horse was feeding, alert, mobile & seemed healthy, maybe I missed something. The chap was ripping feathers out of the pheasants which is to keep the pheasants in one place to be shot, not what he said, & what happened while he was banging on about pheasants saying how about doing this 18 hours a day, get over it, his cow was having a calf which died because it needed help, from that idiot, he blamed it on having to do the pheasants which if they looked after the land he wouldn’t need to do. You need 10,000 acres min to make it as an organic farmer, if that is correct why are we putting up with it?? All the land to use & they still hold their hands out for subsidies, give it up, let the Poles do it, we can get back on to being a world leader instead of being held back by waste of time, money, resources & peoples lives that farming is. Useless. Shameful. Last series they had a farmer in his tractor ploughing a field, he asked him if he would make any money if he didn’t get his subsidy, no he said, to that I think then why are you blooming well ploughing the land, leave it. And finally to all you farmers, there is no such thing as farmland birds, they are called ground nesting birds, because they have sort of adjusted to live on farm or raped land doesn’t make the farmland birds, when you can get that way of looking at it into your heads you can start undoing all the damage you have done. You own the land, not the right to destroy whatever you like within it eg habitat, wildlife, that’s all of ours, we pay for it.
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