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Background
Dole Food Company is suing filmmaker Fredrik Gertten, producer Margarete Jangård and our production company WG Film for slander and defamation with our film BANANAS!*. The film follows an historic event in an American court, and is a matter of public record – not defamation.
We are supporters of free speech. We believe that filmmakers have the right to make films on important issues and bring stories to the forefront that can create debate and criticism. Lawsuits such as this one are meant to silence and stop all communication and dialogue.
Dole is trying to shift the focus from themselves and their controversial treatment of banana workers on to us and our film. This unfounded lawsuit means more than just silencing a single documentary film. It is a threat against free speech itself and will set precedence for all of us if Dole succeeds. We can not let Dole stop BANANAS!*.
In October 2009, BANANAS!* will premiere in the following Swedish cities:
(More will be announced soon)
Båstad, Scala, Oct 9
Fagersta, Folkets hus, Oct 9
Gusum, Folkan bio, Oct 9
Göteborg, Roy, Oct 9
Haparanda, Folkets hus, Oct 9
Järfälla, Folkets hus Kallhäll, Oct 9
Lund, Kino, Oct 9
Malmö, Spegeln, Oct 9
Mörrum, Bio Laxen, Oct 9
Nynäshamn, Folkets hus, Oct 9
Osby, Bio Borgen, Oct 9
Skärhamn, Saga, Oct 9
Skoghall, Folkets hus, Oct 9
Stockholm, Rio, Oct 9
Stockholm, Zita, Oct 9
Tomelilla, Brösarps bio, Oct 9
Trollhättan, Forum/Folkets hus, Oct 9
Uppsala, Fyris, Oct 9 (no broadcast)
Västerås, Elektra, Oct 9
Ånge, Folkets hus, Oct 9
Åseda, Folkets hus, Oct 9
Örebro, Roxy, Oct 9
Östersund, Regina, Oct 9 (no broadcast)
More premiere dates, October 2009:
Kumla, Folkan, Oct 11
Älmhult, Folkan, Oct 13
Söråker, Folkets hus, Oct 14
Umeå, Folkets bio, Oct 16
Norrköping, Harlekinen, Oct 18 & 25
Växjö, Palladium, Oct 22
Lidköping, Folkets hus, Oct 23
Karlstad, Arenan, Oct 26-27
Take action
We need your help! We want the film to be seen by as many people as possible. Here are some suggestions what you can do:
- Spread the word by telling the BANANAS!* story to all your friends.
- Join our Facebook fan page and invite your friends.
- Spread the trailer: YouTube » or Vimeo »
- Start a debate in your local newspaper about for example corporate responsibility, food politics or the importance of free speech.
- Pay a visit to your local food store and ask where their bananas come from. Demand that they sell only fair trade bananas.
- Dig deeper into the story and publish articles on your blog. Help us shift the focus away from the controversy around the film and back to Dole (or other transnational food companies) and their actions in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
- Send emails or letters to Dole and their lawyers and let them know you don’t like how they are trying to silence an independent filmmaker by litigation.
- Send emails to groups and organizations working with food politics, pesticides, corporate responsibility and free speech. Tell them about the film and the lawsuit and ask them to post news about it on their website and link to this site.
- Launch a BANANAS!* petition online or sign an existing one. Sign the Reporters Without Borders petition »
- If you are an artist (musician, moviemaker etc.) let the press and your fans know that you support us.
Further action
If BANANAS!* screens in your city, gather some friends and create a local support group. Help us represent BANANAS!* at the screenings. Do you want to help us? Send a mail to action@bananasthemovie.com
- Put up posters around the city. Hand out newsletters and sell T-shirts and posters at the screenings. We will send you everything you need by mail from our Malmö office and keep in touch by email and telephone.
- Inform local politicians, organizations, activists and celebrities about the film and the dates of the screenings. Give them a call or send them our ready made info letter. Ask them to make statements to the press about what they think about the film and the lawsuit.
- Arrange debates after the screenings about for example food politics, corporate responsibility or free speech. Invite researchers, journalists and representatives from fair trade organizations and corporations. Maybe the local school, university or other study association can provide a location and assist in arranging such an event?
- If you are an artist, create a piece of art inspired by bananas. For example your relation to the fruit or a comment to the political and social dilemmas it holds. With your permission, we would love to publish your work or provide links here on this site.
For the latest BANANAS!* updates and news
- Join our Facebook fan page and follow the updates here at www.bananasthemovie.com
- Sign up for the BANANAS!* email newsletter (subscribe in the sidebar to the right).
15 Comments
Snyggt jobbar. Vi hejjar på er!!
[...] On August 23rd, a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the BANANAS!* case and to activate supporters around the Swedish premiere was launched. Join the BANANAS!* Free Speech Campaign » [...]
So, is it possible to get this film in Stockholm before Sunday, or do we have to steal it?
We have much power as consumers, especially in Sweden we eat a lot of bananas. We should ban all unethical companies and to be able to do that we need free journalism and film making.
Is the film already in Argentina?
this movie tells the truth and what is going on is tragic, it suck to know that the authorities do not do anything about the situation. bye…=]
my father worked for the vaccaros and blaise he is still alive, to blame banana co you have to blame the cia fbi the mob , the kennedys, read peter dale scotts book , and the the drug trade .case closed
that is Blaise d antoni and dr joe vaccaro standard fruit and ss co he is 86 yrs old.
You can also donate money to Filmmaker’s Freedom of Speech directly from facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BANANAS/121163091704?v=app_7146470109
Sri Lanka is the newest country which recently Dole started their banana plantations. But most of our civilians dose not informed about this disaster. If you can screen this film in Sri Lanka it will help to fight against this mafia.
i do not know why…
It’s been 2 years, when can Americans buy the dvd?
”[...] Working conditions in Company operations are designed to protect the health, safety and well-being of all Dole employees. Workers on Dole farms are trained to safely apply crop protection products and are required to use the protective clothing appropriate to their activities. Regular reviews of working conditions ensure that Dole’s operations comply with all applicable labor codes. [...]”
http://dolecsr.com/Principles/Employees/tabid/407/Default.aspx
* Posted as a laughing joke, a quote from Dole’s website. Apperently, they haven’t seen the film? Anyhow, it’s remarkable how they continue concealing the truth…
What’s a joke is the picture they put on that page: a the worker wearing “protective clothing”…
(I’m talking about the picture above the article that has the word “principles” oeverlapped)