BANANAS!*

May 5, 2009

About the film

Filed under: The Film — admin @ 10:00 pm

Juan “Accidentes” Dominguez is on his biggest case ever. On behalf of twelve Nicaraguan banana workers he is tackling Dole Food in a ground-breaking legal battle for their use of a banned pesticide that was known by the company to cause sterility. Can he beat the giant, or will the corporation get away with it? In the suspenseful documentary BANANAS!*, filmmaker Fredrik Gertten sheds new light on the global politics of food.

plantage_420x235

One third of the production price of the average banana is used simply to cover the cost of pesticides1. All over the world, banana plantation workers are suffering and dying from the effects of these pesticides. Juan Dominguez, a million-dollar personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, is on his biggest case ever representing over 10,000 Nicaraguan banana workers claiming to be afflicted by a pesticide known as Nemagon. Dole Food and Dow Chemicals are on trial.

Burial
Byron burying his father Alberto Rosales

Another banana worker is being buried in a small northern town in Nicaragua. For his whole life, Alberto Rosales used his machete to remove weeds from below the banana plants. His son says his last years were filled with pain, a body that was itching all night — and in the end his kidneys stopped working.

Inside the church, filled with friends and family, Father Bayardo begins his sermon. It’s not about Alberto Rosales after awhile. It’s about pesticides. Father Bayardo is accusing landowners and US transnationals of immoral practices which he says cause the death and suffering of many members of his community.

Banana worker
Workers at a banana plantation

The whole region of Chinandega is an ecological disaster zone. The pesticide spray has left its mark everywhere. The soil, the water, the animals, the food of the people are all affected. The level of pesticides in breastmilk is 700 times higher than is acceptable2. Some say it will take 200 years for the ground to heal itself enough to produce natural crops again.

One of the pesticides, a DBCP-based compound called Nemagon, was banned in the USA in 1977 for causing male sterility. Standard Fruit—now Dole—continued to use the pesticide in its plantations outside the USA up to 1982.

Enter Juan Dominguez.

Dominguez, a personal injury lawyer and a member of the “Million Dollar Club” of attorneys in Southern California, is making history. As the legal representative of over 10,000 Nicaraguan banana workers, he is the first attorney ever to force American corporations to take responsibility for actions they have done outside US borders.

Juan Dominguez
Juan Dominguez giving a speech in Estelí, Nicaragua

This case has been followed by experts and companies all over the world.  If Dominguez is successful, it could rock the economic foundations of Dole and Dow, and would open the US courts to other global victims of US-based multinationals.  It would represent a new day in international justice, and there are further cases of a similar nature coming up next in many jurisdictions.

Accidentes billboard
Juan Dominguez billboard ad

More stills from the film »


References

  1. Anne Vézina quoted in Banana drama by Robin McKie, The Guardian, May 21, 2006.
  2. Marianela Corriols (PAHO/WHO) interviewed in Nuestro veneno de cada dia, documentary, 2005.

70 Comments

  1. After researching just a few of the weblog posts in your website now, and I actually like your method of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website list and shall be checking back soon. Pls check out my web site as properly and let me know what you think.

    Comment by cloud computing video tutorial — August 8, 2011 @ 7:46 pm

  2. Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So nice to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject.

    Comment by computer repair fresno ca — August 19, 2011 @ 3:20 am

  3. Whats up! I simply would like to give a huge thumbs up for the nice info you’ve gotten here on this post. I might be coming back to your blog for extra soon.

    Comment by ugg short rain boots — August 29, 2011 @ 7:08 am

  4. Hi there! I just want to give a huge thumbs up for the nice data you might have right here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.

    Comment by ugg women's classic crochet boot — August 29, 2011 @ 9:09 am

  5. I’ll right away clutch your rss feed as I can’t in finding your email subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please let me realize in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

    Comment by Kara Przybysz — September 14, 2011 @ 10:06 am

  6. I “found” the film at PirateBay, you are true heros standing up to the big corporations of the world. Just donated SEK 200, nut much but I hope it helps.

    Comment by Zäta — October 9, 2011 @ 10:50 pm

  7. […] http://www.bananasthemovie.com/about-the-film […]

    Pingback by company cases » Bananas! — October 18, 2011 @ 12:14 pm

  8. whoah this weblog is magnificent i love reading your posts. Maintain up the wonderful work! You know, lots of men and women are searching around for this information, you can assist them greatly.

    Comment by android ipad — October 29, 2011 @ 2:15 am

  9. I’ve said that least 4988785 times. The problem this like that is they are just too compilcated for the average bird, if you know what I mean

    Comment by a4988785 — October 31, 2011 @ 9:59 pm

  10. Great goods from you, man. About the film | BANANAS!* I have understand your stuff previous to and you are just too excellent. I actually like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you are stating and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise. I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is really a wonderful About the film | BANANAS!* informations.

    Comment by liberty reserve — January 5, 2012 @ 8:33 am

  11. Bravo, your opinion is helpful

    Comment by normal picture of lady gaga — February 23, 2012 @ 11:01 pm

  12. I just added your website to my blogroll, I hope you’ll take into consideration doing the same.

    Comment by penguin games — March 8, 2012 @ 5:19 am

  13. Good thinking. Im curious to feel what type of impact this would have globally? Sometimes men and women get a little upset with global expansion. Ill check back to see what you’ve got to say.

    Comment by falwkjfdalwjkda ladalkjdlawkjd — March 25, 2012 @ 5:12 am

  14. […] the film BANANAS!*, twelve Nicaraguan banana plantation workers are suing Dole for concealing the dangers of a […]

    Pingback by The movie 30Bad doesn’t want you to see // 30 Bananas a Day… Sucks! — May 21, 2012 @ 7:25 am

  15. […] released “Harbour of Hope” (Sweden/ Denmark/ Norway/ Poland/ Germany), the controversial “BANANAS!*” (Sweden/ Denmark/ Finland/ Germany/ USA) which was shown at more than 100 festivals, the award […]

    Pingback by A rough-cut workshop | MakeDox — May 31, 2012 @ 5:18 pm

  16. Ermes Efron Borgnino voinut syntynyt noin Hamden, Conn, on 24 tammikuu 1917, koko poika liittyvät italialaisten maahanmuuttajien vanhemmille. Ne perheyhteisön eli sijaitseva Milan kun sanoisin poika osoittautui 2 auttamaan sinua 7, palasi varmista, että olet Connecticut, jossa it koulua noin Iso uudet Refuge. fake ray bans
    Tuottaa mielekäs päivä tämä mies harkittu ottaen erityisen työpaikka yhdessä ilma ilmastointi yritys. Mutta hänen äitinsä suostutteli hänet palaa ilmoittautua varten todelliset Randall School kiinni taiteelle sisällä juuri Hartford. Että he jäi neljä monta viikkoa tarkat vain muodollista koulutusta hän / hän vastaan. ray ban kopiot
    Hänen ensinnäkin avioliitto oli todellisuudessa jotta voit Rhoda Kenins, jonka minkä vuoksi Hän tapasi, kun hän tulossa todella Merivoimien apteekkiin apulaisen tai sitten hän am erityisen potilaalle. ne oli uusi tytär mutta oma avioliitto päättyi koko avioeron jälkeen hänen “Marty” tähteydestä.
    http://www.hintaraybanaurinkolasit.com

    Comment by Entaitagarm — July 19, 2012 @ 11:52 pm

  17. Very good, I hope this will start a movement to limit the power of multinational companies.

    Comment by Steven Dracup — October 23, 2012 @ 10:20 pm

  18. Amazing film! I been to Nicaragua and many people can tell you about their experience working for the banana industry! you guys are heroes!!! Thank you for standing up!

    Comment by Marcos — December 4, 2013 @ 5:30 am

  19. It is our outlook in how we conduct our actions frequently changes our viewpoint. Sometimes this alteration is good and sometimes this alteration is bad but it is our point of view that influences how we act.

    Comment by Jaqueline+Freidberg — December 27, 2013 @ 2:51 am

  20. […] la premsa escrita), quan el periodista suec Fredrik Gertten va presentar el seu documental Bananas!*, on explicava la història dels treballadors guatemalencs que quedaren estèrils a causa dels […]

    Pingback by L’aldea gal·la | Periodista en funcions — February 19, 2014 @ 10:54 am

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Powered by WordPress