Oscar-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock dies at 53. His works skewered the US food industry

Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominated documentaryfilmmaker,who ateMcDonald'sfor a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast food diet, has died at the age of 53, American media reported on Friday (May 24).Spurlock'smost famous works skewered the UnitedStates'(US) food industry.

In a statement,Spurlock'sfamily said that he died on Thursday in New York from complications of cancer.Spurlock'sbrother Craig said,"It was a sadday,as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan.

"Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have workedtogetherwith him,"Craig added.

The breakthrough

Spurlock had his breakthrough in 2004 with his film“Super Size Me,”whichwas nominatedfor an Academy Award. The filmtalked aboutthe harmfulphysical and psychological effects of Spurlock eating onlyMcDonald’sfood for 30 days.

A report by the news agency Associated Press said that after consuming the McDonald'sdiet for a month,Spurlock gained about 11kilograms, saw a spike in his cholesterol and lost his sex drive.

“Everything’sbigger in America.We’vegot the biggest cars, the biggest houses, the biggest companies, the biggest food, andfinally:the biggest people,"he said.

The film grossed more than $22 million on a $65,000 budget.

Thirteen years later, Spurlock released“Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!”— a sober look at an industry that processes 9 billion animalsa yearin America. In this film, Spurlock focused on two issues:chicken farmers stuck in a peculiar financial system and the attempt by fast-food chains to deceive customers into thinkingthey’reeating healthier.

The impact

Spurlock was agonzo-like filmmaker who leaned into the bizarre and ridiculous. Following his expose of the fast-food and chicken industries, there was an explosion in the restaurants stressing freshness,artisanal methods, farm-to-table goodness and ethically sourced ingredients.

However, the53-year-old'swork was not all about food.Spurlock made documentaries about the boy band One Direction and people attending the Comic-Con.

In 2008, Spurlockreleased a film called“Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?”where hewent on a global search to find the al-Qaida leader, whowas killedin 2011.

(With inputs from agencies)