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Synopsis:

Bitter Brew pulls back the curtain on the luxury coffee industry, focusing on one of its most unusual — and controversial — products: Kopi Luwak, also known as civet coffee. Marketed as rare and exotic, this coffee is made from beans that pass through the digestive system of a small animal called the Asian palm civet.

But behind the novelty and high price tag lies a much darker story.

Shot across Indonesia and beyond, this documentary follows journalists, conservationists, and farmers who are challenging what the world thinks it knows about Kopi Luwak. It turns out, much of the so-called “wild” civet coffee is anything but. Civets are often captured from the wild, kept in cramped cages, and force-fed coffee cherries under terrible conditions — all to meet global demand.

Alongside the animal welfare concerns, Bitter Brew explores how fraud, greenwashing, and lax regulation fuel a booming market where very little is what it claims to be. Former workers, ethical coffee producers, and activists speak out, offering insight into a system that thrives on consumer ignorance.

This film isn’t just about coffee — it’s about the hidden costs of luxury and the choices we make without realizing who (or what) pays the price.

Genre: Investigative / Environmental / Human-Animal Rights

Tone: Personal, Revealing, Urgent

Runtime: 52 minutes

Target Audience: Conscious consumers, coffee drinkers, environmentalists, and documentary fans who care about where their products come from.