Brisk and beautiful from the outset, the documentary takes viewers to coffee fields of Ethiopia. It shows how the New York stock market determines prices for this product, which often times leaves the growers in poverty.

Though the set up and intro seem to promise a more comprehensive look at growers around the world, somewhat disappointingly, the documentary limits itself to not only Ethiopia, but primarily the Oromio Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union in Southern Ethiopia. Fortunately, Tadesse Meskela, the rep of that cooperative, and virtual star of this doc, is a fine enough fellow with whom to spend your viewing evening.

Shots of the countryside are rich in color and warmth, clips of growers and families, give the production depth and connection. And the use of captions, instead of narration, gives the overall product more impact and resonance. However, its greatest flaw is its length. Even at just 78 minutes -- it's still too long. While, admirably engaging for a full 45 minutes, the documentary becomes tedious soon after that. The warm relaxing pace becomes languishing and, more or less, most of the beans have been spilt by the halfway mark. There is no kicker or payoff that makes staying tuned rewarding.

Still, it's definitely educational, an effective call to action. I'll be looking for Ethiopian and Fair Trade Coffee at the supermarket. Btw, when I lived in Kenya -- oh, I loved the coffee there!

An interesting discussion on Fair Trade can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade.

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