10 coffee documentaries you have to see
Documentaries are a great way to educate yourself in an entertaining way.
They offer us a glimpse into worlds we wouldn't otherwise know. They can tell great stories in a real way, without sacrificing audiovisual quality.
From nature documentaries to those with social content, when well done, they can be captivating. We suggest these 10 coffee documentaries you can't miss.
They are a journey through the world of coffee, from the plant to the cup, which will show that everything is much more connected than it may seem.
As the Chinese proverb says: “The gentle flutter of a butterfly’s wings can be felt halfway around the world.”
The first eight are available for streaming on many platforms. The last two can be watched for free on YouTube.
Connected By Coffee (Aaron Dennis, 70 min., 2014)
'Connected by Coffee' tells the story of Latin American coffee farmers and how our daily beverage is connected to the turbulent past and hopeful future of many regions.
On a 1,000-mile journey from Mexico to Nicaragua, the film shows how equitable trade relations are helping to empower communities and take a step toward social justice.
Throughout the journey, we learn how each cup of coffee connects us in a very real way to the people most responsible: the producers themselves.
The Way Back to Yarasquin (Sarah Gerber, 35 min., 2013)
The Way Back to Yarasquin is a personal story that follows Mayra's journey back to her hometown of Santa Helena, Honduras, where coffee is grown.
Her goal is to empower her family and local communities through coffee.
This documentary shows the challenges faced by coffee farmers in rural areas through a moving personal story. It's not a well-known documentary, but it's well worth watching.
Enjoy seasonal coffee, visit our storeA Film About Coffee (Brandon Loper, 67 min., 2014)
A Film About Coffee is a declaration of love for specialty coffee from its director and producer. If you want someone to understand what specialty coffee is and why we're so passionate about it, this documentary is ideal.
It clearly shows why when we talk about coffee we have to differentiate between coffee as a commercial product and specialty coffee.
Through the experiences of coffee farmers, roasters, and baristas, we learn about all the processes and elements necessary for coffee to reach our cups.
The documentary is exquisitely crafted and features the participation of coffee legends such as Peter Giuliano, George Howell, and James Freeman.
Caffeinated (Vishal Solanki and Hanh Nguyen, 80 min., 2015)
'Caffeinated' shows us that every cup of coffee has a story behind it.
The directors spent several years traveling and filming around the world to document the entire specialty coffee process.
It shows the landscape of coffee consumption in several American cities and follows Geoff Watts on several of his trips to buy green coffee.
Focusing on the people behind each process—coffee farmers, importers, roasters, and baristas—they show us the importance of those behind the scenes.
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Barista (Rock Baijnauth, 104 min., 2015)& Baristas (Rock Baijnauth, 98 min., 2019)
"Barista," the first of these documentaries, follows several baristas as they prepare for the U.S. National Barista Championship.
"Baristas" (the second) follows four baristas from different parts of the world (the US, Germany, Ireland, and Japan) as they prepare for the World Barista Championship.
Both documentaries show the preparation process of these baristas before and during the competition. They offer a behind-the-scenes look at these competitions.
We look at what it takes to reach this level as a coffee professional, as well as the psychological and physical challenges they face and their passion for coffee.
Visually, especially the second one, they are a delight and an entertaining combination of dramatic moments and comedy.
The Coffee Man (Jeff Hann, 85 min., 2016)
'The Coffee Man' follows Sasa Sestic's journey to winning the World Barista Championship in 2015. But it's much more than that.
It's the journey of a man passionate about coffee, from his humble origins in Yugoslavia to the plantations of Ethiopia, to bring the best coffee to his customers.
The same coffee with which he later won the world barista championship.
Sasa's personality is electric and her love of coffee is contagious.
Shade Grown Coffee (Alexander Kinnunen, 65 min., 2020)
It's a more contemplative documentary than the previous ones, with captivating images of landscapes and nature.
It shows how specialty coffee cultivation has a positive impact on coffee growers and the environment in places like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Jamaica, and Ethiopia.
Black Gold (Marc J. Francis & Nick Francis, 68 min., 2006)
Coffee is one of the world's most traded commodities. According to the OEC, its market value was $30 billion in 2018.
It's a product subject to speculation, futures trading, and other financial transactions. This has a direct impact on coffee growers in the countries where it is grown, which are often developing countries.
Coffee can be a tool to create wealth in local communities and contribute to the development of these countries.
But when a coffee farmer only receives three cents for a cup of coffee that sells for three dollars, something is wrong.
This documentary explores the darker side of the coffee trade, how it can be used as a tool for neocolonialism, and how to change this situation so that it benefits the economies of the countries where it is grown.
Flower of Flowers (Greg Hunt, 40 min., 2018)
Coffee plantations are very sensitive to climate change, and this is the main topic of this documentary.
It shows how coffee cultivation is an intrinsic part of the culture and economy of many regions in Central America and how climate change affects them.
This documentary is produced by Stumptown Coffee Roasters and is available for free online.
Coffee Coffee (Jorey Kiva, 10 min., 2016)
This documentary focuses on the specialty coffee scene in Portland, Oregon. But from here, it explores topics of interest to all coffee lovers.
We talk about why specialty coffee is better, not subjectively, but objectively, for the palate, the coffee growers, and the environment.
It demonstrates the importance of attention to flavor, detail, and the connection between consumers and coffee growers. You can also watch the entire show on YouTube.
This concludes our review of 10 coffee documentaries we recommend.
These aren't all of them—there are more, and they're also very good—but we believe these are well worth a look and provide a comprehensive view of specialty coffee.
Just have your favorite coffee on hand because you'll want to have more than one.
