The Moo Man - the story of a farmer and his favourite cow Ida
There remain only a few short days to support the distribution of a great food documentary and be a part of movie history.
Those of you following the story of Steve Hook, the pioneering raw milk dairy farmer, here on Artisan Food Law will probably have spotted there are two parallel stories taking place. The first came to an end when the Foods Standards Agency dropped its prosecution against Steve Hook and Selfridges for selling raw milk from a vending machine located in the food hall of the prestigious Oxford Street store in London. The second was a far more interesting and glamorous affair.
About five years ago a couple of independent film makers came across Steve Hook and were captivated by the farmer with a sparkle in his eye, passionate about his cows, producing organic raw milk and keeping the family farm small and sustainable. They decided to make a film to show the importance of small family farms. ‘The Moo Man’ was born.
The Moo Man premiered at Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival in the USA, somewhat ironically a couple of days before the Food Standards Agency announced Steve was to be prosecuted. The film went down a storm. Steve attracted much admiration for his work in the States where he was dubbed the ‘Cow Whisperer’ and so stands alongside ‘Horse Whisperer’ Buck Brannaman and ‘Dog Whisperer’ Jan Fennell.
There was yet further irony when The Moo Man premiered at the Sundance London Film and Music Festival, it was the day after Steve had another scheduled court appearance. The last few months must have felt like a rollercoaster ride for Steve.
Andy Heathcote and Heike Bachelier of Trufflepig Films sank everything they had into making The Moo Man. Their reward is to have made a very special film and captured a unique world in which there exists a magical relationship between a farmer and his animals.
The Moo Man is an immensely enjoyable family film, it also raises important issues about the future of family farms in the UK, the vital role they play in maintaining a close connection with where our food comes from and in preserving our environment. We must ensure small family farms remain sustainable.
This is where you all come in! The film will be released on 12 July, but movie distribution doesn’t come cheap and Trufflepig Films have launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise the £20,000 required to bring the film to a much wider audience. There are lots of great rewards, including a limited edition print of Ida, and pledges start at just £5. Help spread the word, become a film distributer and play a part in movie history - ‘moove’ on over to Trufflepig Films on Kickstarter and make your pledge by 12 June!
There’s lots more information on Kickstarter’s page: Bring THE MOO MAN to UK cinemas.
