33rd Raindance Film Festival (2025)

Premiere Screening includes Q&A with Co-Directors Helena Berndl & Francesco Maria Gallo

As the world is grappling with the emergent challenges of its development path, In Symbiosis’ striking and vibrant cast of interviewees, from land to lab, unveils the driving forces behind a broken food system and puts forward a path to building true resilience in and around us.

Review

In Symbiosis documents modern society’s globalised food system, combining international interviews with those involved at all levels with well-shot and evocative footage to create a compelling and well-argued statement on the unsustainability and short-sightedness of the global north’s eating habits.

Divided into a series of short subsections, the film tracks the journey food takes to make it onto our tables, alongside the historical development of the system itself. It is fast-paced without being difficult to follow, and covers a broad range of opinions and nationalities without feeling disjointed or stretched thin. Interviews are juxtaposed against relevant imagery that can be shocking in its directness, but never devolves into gratuitousness for its own sake.

The film manages to achieve the holy trifecta of documentary-making, being simultaneously and equal-parts informative, entertaining, and affecting. It takes a clear stance and does not waver, consistently and concisely backing up its argument so well that most will struggle not to find it at least somewhat convincing.

In Symbiosis is essential viewing for anybody with a desire to better understand the global society in which we all now live, and to form an appreciation for what actually goes into getting food from the farm to our tables.

by Alix Cochrane