How Do You Milk an Almond?

How Do You Milk an Almond? premiered at the Yale Law School, and was added to the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Recommended Films List. Further screenings were held at the Law Schools of the University of Miami, UConn, University of Colorado, Stetson University, Roger Williams University, Florida A&M, and others. The film won Best Musical at Mexico City’s FICAA Film Festival, and played at numerous festivals including the Chain Film Festival, TAMMF Festival, the Awareness Festival, the Rieti e Sabina Film Festival, and the Omnia Film Festival, among others. The film also screened at the Boston Public Library and CompassionFest.

Notably, the project was adapted into a live short musical, chosen from a highly competitive pool of nation-wide submissions as part of SOUND BITES XII Annual Festival of 10-Minute Musicals, and was featured in BroadwayWorld and Thinking Theater NYC. The live musical was directed by Kevin Sherwin, and premiered at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City.

Filmmaker Biography

Kevin Sherwin is a filmmaker and composer who has received commissions from Independent Curators International, the Bruce Museum Digital Series, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among others. As a performing musician, he has conducted at Carnegie Hall, given solo concerts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Joe's Pub NYC, and toured North America. He has composed scores for films that have been Official Selections at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Palm Springs International ShortFest, and the NYC Chain Film Festival, among others. In 2022, he served on the jury for the Best Music Category at the Miami Film Festival. He was a featured composer at the “The Passing Show” produced by Unsung Musicals Co. at the Pershing Square Signature Center. Additionally, he is an Associate Fellow at Timothy Dwight College, Yale University.

Director Statement

Periodically, plant-based food companies get sued in countries across the world for using words such as milk and cheese to describe their products. The lawsuits generally claim that the products under question are deceptively labeled, since they are not produced using real cow's milk.

The recurring appearance of these lawsuits brings unexpected arguments to the courtroom, which on the surface seem unusual for legal proceedings. Nevertheless, these trials are carried out according to the laws of food regulation and commerce. These trials often receive significant media coverage, and commentators bring up issues such as dietary nutrition, factory farming practices, animal rights, and environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, the matters of the actual lawsuits reflect legal investigation and precedent, in the effort to come to a formal legal outcome.

As I observed these similar lawsuits happen in both Europe and North America, I was struck by the juxtapositions that came up as lawyers, witnesses, experts, and judges weighed in on the issues. The cases informed me about food production, but also entertained me as people found legal language to make claims about how food and drink should be described. Furthermore, the content of the trials contrasted with their media coverage both showed what issues the legal system can take into account, and what issues the legal system does not easily incorporate into its procedures.

"How Do You Milk an Almond?" gives a fictional account of a trial where the Almond Lovers Coalition of America gets sued for using the word "milk" to describe their beverages. The film contrasts the formal proceedings of a trial with musical numbers sung by cartoon-like puppet characters. Creating a fantastic representation of current events, the film offers an entertaining and reflective portrayal of a legal dispute.