(New York) Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker who made American food and diet his life’s work, ate only at McDonald’s for a month and explained the dangers of a fast-food diet, and he’s no more. He is 53 years old.
Spurlock died Thursday in New York of complications from cancer, his family said in a statement Friday.
“It’s a sad day when we say goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, his ideas and his generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am very proud to have worked with him. »
Spurlock made a splash in 2004 with his revolutionary Super Size MAnd returned in 2019 Super Size Me 2 : Holy Chicken ! – A sobering look at the industry that processes 9 billion animals a year in the United States.
Spurlock was a gonzo filmmaker who leaned toward the grotesque and absurd. His stylistic touches include vivid graphics and funky music, mixing a Michael Moore-style “in-your-face” camera style with his own sense of humor and pathos.
Since the exposure of the fast food and poultry industries, there has been an explosion of restaurants emphasizing freshness, artisanal methods, farm-to-table quality and premium ingredients. But nutrition, little has changed.
“There’s been this big change, and people are asking me, ‘So, food has become healthier?’ I say, ‘Well, marketing certainly did,'” he told The Associated Press in 2019.
“Pop culture practitioner. Award-winning tv junkie. Creator. Devoted food geek. Twitter lover. Beer enthusiast.”