Virtual Yard Movie Night:
Bright Spot

When Tamer worked as a Holistic Nutritionist in the Cayman Islands, he came across a shocking truth – this Caribbean country, with coconut palms lining the shores, had mostly abandoned cooking with coconut oil and instead had turned to the modern conveniences of vegetable oil. Why was this shocking? Because, despite coconut oil being in harmony with traditional dishes and the culture of the island, coconuts were being sent to the local dump and vegetable oils were lining the shelves of Cayman Islands grocery stores and kitchen cupboards.

Through the making of this film, Tamer came to understand that convenience, westernization and ‘fake news’, played a part in the diminished use of this local food. With modern research claiming that coconut oil is one of the healthiest foods on the planet, and warning people of the harms of highly-processed vegetable oils, Tamer felt there was no better time to educate and inspire people to re-embrace coconut oil.

As much as this documentary is about getting people to change their oil so that they can change their health, it’s also about, as health expert Sally Fallon states in the film, “Trusting our ancestors” and re-discovering foods that are whole, familiar and nutritious.

What do you hope people will take away from the film?

No matter where you are, my hope is that we reconnect our local food sources and natural environments and realise how important they are to our identity and wellbeing.

One thing we can all do right now…

Wherever you are, buy food (local food) that’s been grown in a way that respects nature and the individuals who’ve grown it.