Crops and Robbers (1986,15 minutes) This enjoyable and entertaining film tells the history of the world in 15 minutes. Also, you may never look at a strawberry the same way ever again. We see an animated game of chance played with dice, and ships sailing for gold, across continents and down the centuries to the present. Explorers discover new treasures – coffee, sugar, tea, potatoes – and the violent repercussions still affect all of us today. 500 million people now do not get enough to eat, and we need to understand more about world hunger. This imaginative and thought-provoking film questions many assumptions, and points out the connections between surplus and famine. Complex issues are brought vividly to life through a combination of cartoon and live action. As crops contend with robbers in animated sequences, a young shop assistant in a real everyday supermarket discovers the links between past and present, international and local events. Responding to a famine appeal she goes round the world, and sees food used as a commodity and as a weapon. She also starts to understand what we can do about it. Lively and full of surprises, Crops and Robbers aims to stimulate discussion. A booklet giving background information comes free with the DVD. Tweet