The Gleaners and I

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000500dvldtc.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Reel Movie Critic.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reel Movie Critic.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id1056.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ghosts of Mars"><U>Ghosts of Mars</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id536.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Five Senses, The"><U>Five Senses, The</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ghost World"><U>Ghost World</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Frequency"><U>Frequency</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id612.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Get Carter"><U>Get Carter</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id957.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Gift"><U>The Gift</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1192.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Glass House"><U>The Glass House</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id221.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ghost Dog"><U>Ghost Dog</U></A>   |   <B>The Gleaners and I</B>   |   <A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gladiator"><U>Gladiator</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Glitter"><U>Glitter</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id611.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Girlfight"><U>Girlfight</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1243.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Go Tigers!"><U>Go Tigers!</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id478.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Girl On The Bridge"><U>Girl On The Bridge</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1222.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gosford Park"><U>Gosford Park</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id540.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Godzilla"><U>Godzilla</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Godfather Collection"><U>The Godfather Collection</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id119.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gone in 60 Seconds"><U>Gone in 60 Seconds</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id905.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Golden Bowl"><U>The Golden Bowl</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grass"><U>Grass</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1233.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hit and Runway"><U>Hit and Runway</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id220.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg"><U>The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1115.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Homocide: The Movie"><U>Homocide: The Movie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id250.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Legacy"><U>Legacy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id904.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="In the Bedroom"><U>In the Bedroom</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Legend of Bagger Vance"><U>The Legend of Bagger Vance</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id615.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lost Souls"><U>Lost Souls</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id110.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Love Basketball"><U>Love & Basketball</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1269.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Intimacy"><U>Intimacy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id316.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Love Beat The Hell Outta of Me"><U>Love Beat The Hell Outta of Me</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="041d2c00dvldtc.png"> <div> <B>Home Pages For</B></div> <div> <B>                </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/"><U><B>Movies</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                    </B><A HREF="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.newbookdiscounts.com/"><U><B>Books</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                       </B><A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id364.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Travel</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelforless/id361.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.reelmoviecritic.com/travelfor"><U><B>Great Web Sites</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> The Gleaners and I</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="501" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 147 WIDTH="495"><div> <IMG SRC="1292648c0.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><B> DVD <script language="JavaScript"> function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write("<a href=javascript:popUp('http://buybox.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=reelmoviecriticc&link_code=xsc&creative=23424&camp=2025&path=/dt/assoc/tg/aa/xml/assoc/-/B00005Y727/reelmoviecriticc/ref=ac_bb1_,_amazon')><img src=http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/remote-buy-box/buy1.gif border=0 alt='Buy from Amazon.com' ></a>"); document.close(); </script> <noscript> <form method="POST" action="http://buybox.amazon.com/o/dt/assoc/handle-buy-box=B00005Y727"> <input type="hidden" name="asin.B00005Y727" value="1"> <input type="hidden" name="tag-value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="hidden" name="tag_value" value="reelmoviecriticc"> <input type="image" name="submit.add-to-cart" value="Buy from Amazon.com" border="0" alt="Buy from Amazon.com" src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/associates/add-to-cart.gif"> </form> </noscript>  </B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B>Winner as Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival. The Chicago Reader describes this film as "Beautiful, abosorbing and touching! This film is a mind-expanding experience not to be missed".</B></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>The Gleaners and I </B>*** ½ (Not Rated)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By George O. Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> Filming itself is gleaning</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Director: Agnes Varda</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="304" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: This is a documentary about people who make a living by scavenging what others discard. Prepare to be amazed because it's much more than homeless people picking through trash.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> The concept of gleaning is a fascinating subject. In Europe, the history of it is related to peasant women who rummaged for bits of wheat left after the harvest. Several fine paintings have been produced of these events, which demonstrates the respect that some have for those that glean. </div> <bR> <div>  In the USA, particularly in a place like San Francisco where the temperature is moderate for 12 months of the year, people live on the streets without fear of freezing. This results in relatively more homeless people there than in such places as Chicago or New York. Even as a casual visitor you can't help but notice them, and if you lived there as I did for five years, you see that many people seem to make money to some extent by scavenging.</div> <bR> <div> This story is set in the North of France and parts of Paris and its suburbs, and the concept of gleaning is expanded to include foragers, rummagers and scavengers. Whether by necessity, by chance or out of choice, many people pick up leftover items discarded by others. Their world will surprise you.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: Due to malfunctions in farm equipment, potatoes may be left behind after the harvest. The potatoes that we want to buy are 2-4"around, without cuts, no odd shapes and not green in color. So much is thrown away that it looks like a mound of garbage… but it's not garbage. It's just <I>not</I> pretty food. It's a relief that someone will make use of this "waste" and that the landowners are open enough to allow people on their land to take the food. Varda also captures her subjects in the act of gleaning at the wholesale food market at the end of the day.</div> <bR> <div> At some vineyards, there is in effect a second harvest because of the gleaners. In one vineyard that had been abandoned the gleaners did the first harvest. Even oysters are gleaned.  With storms and low tides, product becomes available that would not normally be harvested. The gleaners do their best to stay 15 or more yards away from the oyster beds, which allows a peaceful coexistence between those many of us would call beggars and the property owners. It's important to note that gleaners do not equate themselves with beggars. They work for a living. </div> <bR> <div> One man is so efficient in eating "throw away" that he's done so for 10 years. These gleaners know that items picked up are usually outdated, but have some remaining shelf life. They use their noses to make the decision to eat it or throw it away. If they have a large quantity of a product that will spoil, they will cook it all and find people to share it with.</div> <bR> <div> One man who gleans also makes money by selling magazines and newspapers. What really surprised me was that he has a Masters Degree and teaches refugees from Senegal.</div> <bR> <div> <I>The Gleaners and I</I> shows us the ugly side of modern immigration and those who, for some reason, don't fit into mainstream society. These are not the people that appear in travel brochures for France. They work hard just like those of us that have "real" jobs. </div> <bR> <div> This documentary informs more than shocks; it's not <I>60 minutes</I> or <I>20/20</I> TV material. It does however, tell us things about the world we live in that we need to know.</div> <bR> <div> Gleaners on Gleaning</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"We are not afraid of getting our hands dirty, you can always wash your hands"…Claude, unemployed, living in a caravan</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"I live 100% on things I retrieve from trash. I have eaten 100% trash for 10 years, I've never been ill." …Francois</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f066ccff00.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">On domestic appliances, " I patch and fix fridges, and once the machine works again, I sell it, or I give it away to my neighbors"…Salomon, a gleaner of food and equipment. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Not Rated (Mature Themes)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2001</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>