Documentary backdrop image for Big Sugar (2021)

202152 minPG-13documentary

Big Sugar

202152 minPG-13documentary

Sugar cartels have a complex history rooted in slavery and continue to wield significant political influence in contemporary society.

Genres

Channel: Grapevine Documentaries

Big Sugar

2021• 52 minPG-13

Synopsis

Sugar cartels have a complex history rooted in slavery and continue to wield significant political influence in contemporary society.

Synopsis

Big Sugar examines the historical and contemporary influence of the global sugar industry, tracing its origins from the era of slavery to its current political connections. The documentary highlights the power dynamics and economic interests that have shaped sugar production and consumption, revealing how major cartels have maintained control over this lucrative market. Through interviews and archival footage, it sheds light on the implications of sugar's dominance in society and its impact on health and politics today.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Sugar Coated (2025)

Sugar Coated

2025•1h32m•★7.3TMDB

Big Sugar's decades-long PR campaign has obscured the health risks of sugar, contributing to rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease among children.

That Sugar Film (2014)

That Sugar Film

2014•1h37m•★6.9TMDB

Damon Gameau consumes 160 grams of sugar daily for 60 days, leading to weight gain and fatty liver disease while examining hidden sugars in marketed 'healthy' foods.

That Sugar Film

Sugar Sisters (2025)

Sugar Sisters

2025•44m•★6.0TMDB

Sugar-dating, a phenomenon where younger individuals date older, wealthier partners for financial support, is explored by filmmaker Hannah Donegan and her sisters.

Banksters (2026)

Banksters

2026•58m•★5.5TMDB

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, UK banks systematically bankrupted over 100,000 small businesses, transforming trusted institutions into exploitative entities.

The Truth About Sugar (2015)

The Truth About Sugar

2015•58m•★5.5TMDB

Four Brits with sugar-laden diets work to reduce their intake to levels recommended by health authorities while facing cravings and hidden sugars in foods.

The Truth About Sugar

How sugar was built on a global system of slavery (2026)

How sugar was built on a global system of slavery

Sugar's history reveals a global system of slavery and exploitation, from 19th-century plantations to modern refineries in Brazil, India, and the Dominican Republic.

How sugar was built on a global system of slavery

Is It True That... We've Always Been Addicted to Sugar? (2026)

Is It True That... We've Always Been Addicted to Sugar?

In modern industrial societies, the pervasive presence of sugar raises questions about its historical origins and the extent of human consumption throughout history.

Is It True That... We've Always Been Addicted to Sugar?

Sugar: The Hidden Danger in Our Food (2026)

Sugar: The Hidden Danger in Our Food

The sugar industry, through a secret PR campaign since the 1970s, has contributed to rising obesity, diabetes, and heart disease rates while facing increasing scrutiny from health experts.

Sugar: The Hidden Danger in Our Food

Big Sugar (2005) (2021)

Big Sugar (2005)

From its origins linked to slavery in the Caribbean to its contemporary influence on U.S. politics, sugar cartels maintain significant power and control.

Big Sugar (2005)

Explore Big Sugar

Browse more like this

That Sugar Film (2014)

That Sugar Film

2014•1h37m•★6.9TMDB

Damon Gameau consumes 160 grams of sugar daily for 60 days, leading to weight gain and fatty liver disease while examining hidden sugars in marketed 'healthy' foods.

That Sugar Film

No digital watch option in your country

Sugar Sisters (2025)

Sugar Sisters

2025•44m•★6.0TMDB

Sugar-dating, a phenomenon where younger individuals date older, wealthier partners for financial support, is explored by filmmaker Hannah Donegan and her sisters.

No digital watch option in your country

Banksters (2026)

Banksters

2026•58m•★5.5TMDB

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, UK banks systematically bankrupted over 100,000 small businesses, transforming trusted institutions into exploitative entities.

No digital watch option in your country

The Truth About Sugar (2015)

The Truth About Sugar

2015•58m•★5.5TMDB

Four Brits with sugar-laden diets work to reduce their intake to levels recommended by health authorities while facing cravings and hidden sugars in foods.

The Truth About Sugar

No digital watch option in your country

Is It True That... We've Always Been Addicted to Sugar? (2026)

Is It True That... We've Always Been Addicted to Sugar?

In modern industrial societies, the pervasive presence of sugar raises questions about its historical origins and the extent of human consumption throughout history.

Is It True That... We've Always Been Addicted to Sugar?

No digital watch option in your country

Sugarcane (2024)

Sugarcane

2024•1h47m•★7.0TMDB

Over 100 children are reported missing from the Indian residential school system in Canada, prompting a reckoning among survivors and their descendants.

Sugar Mills Antigua & Barbuda (2020)

Sugar Mills Antigua & Barbuda

2020•26m•★10.0TMDB

Colonized by England in 1632, Antigua became a central hub for sugar production in the Caribbean, relying heavily on the labor of enslaved Africans.

Sugar Mills Antigua & Barbuda

Big Pharma: Gaming the System (2020)

Big Pharma: Gaming the System

2020•1h28m•★8.0TMDB

Over the past decade, a handful of multinational companies have come to control the production of most pharmaceuticals.

Big Pharma: Gaming the System

The Long Shadow (2018)

The Long Shadow

2018•1h24m•★8.0TMDB

Frances Causey investigates how the legacy of slavery continues to shape racial issues in the United States, revealing ongoing tensions and historical context.

The Long Shadow

Jamie's Sugar Rush (2015)

Jamie's Sugar Rush

2015•47m•★6.8TMDB

One in four children in the UK is now classified as overweight or obese, prompting Jamie Oliver to investigate the hidden sugar in supposedly healthy foods.

Jamie's Sugar Rush

The Cola Conquest (1998)

The Cola Conquest

1998•50m•★8.5TMDB

Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola have competed for over 100 years, shaping consumer culture and reflecting changes in American society.

The Cola Conquest

Sugar Cane Malice (2021)

Sugar Cane Malice

2021•1h16m•★6.0TMDB

One of the largest sugar cane plantations in the world operates in the Dominican Republic, where workers face severe exploitation and labor rights violations.

Sugar Cane Malice

Black Coffee (2007)

Black Coffee

2007•2h52m•★9.0TMDB

Only one cent of a $2 cup of coffee reaches the grower, revealing stark inequalities in the global coffee trade.

Bitter Cane (1983)

Bitter Cane

1983•1h15m•★9.0TMDB

Six years of secret filming reveal the harsh conditions faced by workers in US-owned sweatshops and coffee farms in Haiti under the Duvalier dictatorship.

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →