Bright, Burley, and Oriental are leaves used for making what
Burley (tobacco) pigments, as well as chemicals that normally break down with a slower cure. The quality achieved by U.S. burley producers is primarily due to natural curing conditions. Once fully cured burley is taken down, sticks are removed and leaves are stripped from the plant into grades by stalk position. Leaves are baled by grade and taken to a receiving station run by a tobacco manufacturer or leaf dealer. Burley contains little sugar, and has generally been cased (sweetened) with humectants, sugars, or other flavors for uses such as in American blend cigarettes. As a result, a broad ban enacted by
Bright Leaves the Duke family, whom Duke University is named for. Interviewed as part of this film include Allan Gurganus, Ross McElwee, Tom McElwee, Patricia Neal, Vlada Petric, Paula Larke, Marilyn Levine, Emily Madison, Adrian McElwee, and Charleen Swansea. The documentary follows McElwee's usual style, where he gives voiceovers to apparently spontaneous footage, making the story more personal. According to Roger Ebert: Marian Keane, in her essay ""Reflections on Bright Leaves"", collected in ""Three Documentary Filmmakers"", asserts that "Bright Leaves" displays McElwee's extraordinary ability to present "people in their uniqueness", contrasting this with other documentaries where people often "seem to exist in