The invention of a recipe for the chocolate bar in 1879 would have far-reaching consequences for two tiny islands off the west coast of Africa, Sao Tome and Principe. In this documentary filmed on the two formerly Portuguese colonies known as the "Chocolate Islands" and in Portugal, fascinating archival film and interviews with historians, writers and the inhabitants create a rich portrait of a little-known country and its history.
"Money grew on trees" from two crops on the Islands: cocoa and coffee, but the ugly side of the plantation system was slavery. Historian Carlos Neves describes the terrible conditions common on these plantations. In England, William Cadbury set up factories producing chocolate bars and, being a Quaker, ran them in a progressive style. His cocoa was supplied by the Portuguese. Hearing that that slaves were being used to produce the cocoa he needed, he travelled to the Chocolate Islands to investigate. There he found a system he called "slavery in disguise." He insisted that any Africans could return to their homeland if they wished, or he would cancel the cocoa contracts with the Portuguese.
Although the Islands still produce some cocoa, grinding poverty prevails. The Chocolate Islands stand as a sad example of post Colonial decay.

"Recommended for Postcolonialism, Multicultural Studies, Anthropology, Economics, Sociology." Kerrie Danielle Fergen, State University of New York, Fredonia Educational Media Reviews Online