AllMovie

Milk has been a staple of the American diet as far back as nearly anyone can remember, but how did it gain a permanent place on the nation's dinner table? Filmmaker Ariana Gerstein and Monteith McCollum examine the secret history of the dairy industry in Milk of the Land: Ballad of an American Drink, a witty documentary which explores the political, financial and cultural influences behind the notion that milk is a nearly perfect food. In Milk in the Land, Gerstein and McCollum reveal the little discussed link between prohibition and the dairy business, the contrast between image and reality in 21st century milk producing, differing views on the nutritional value of milk, and the opinions of everyone from Al Capone to John F. Kennedy on the nectar of the humble cow, using animation and creative visuals to bring static elements of this story to life. Milk in the Land received its world premiere at the 2007 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana.