BANANAS!*

For more information and press enquiries, please contact:
David Magdael & Associates – Los Angeles
Winston Emano, wemano@tcdm-associates.com
David Magdael, dmagdael@tcdm-associates.com
Phone: +1 213 624 7827

	Timeline about the Dole lawsuit BANANAS!* under fire – a timeline » (article) Updated monthly
	Director’s comments Director’s statement, Oct 2009 (PDF) Interview with Fredrik Gertten (PDF)
	Press kit (collected texts) Press kit (PDF) Synopsis, Director’s statement, Key subjects, About the filmmakers, Credits, Tellez vs. Dole: A Timeline
	For students Bananas film guide (PDF) Film study questions from the Swedish Film Institute. Recommended for upper-secondary school.
	Stills from the film bananas_stills.zip (22 mb) 6 images incl. photo log (TIF, 300 dpi) bananas_additional_stills.zip (60 mb) 12 additional images incl. photo log (TIF)
	Posters (for web use) bananas_posters.zip (2 mb) 4 versions (JPG, 72 dpi)
	Logo bananas_logo.zip (8 mb) 5 versions (TIF, 300 dpi)
	Photos from the Los Angeles Film Festival LA_premiere_photos.zip (8 mb) 4 images incl. photo log (JPG, 300 dpi)
	Other Crew photos:    Fredrik Gertten (director, JPG)    Margarete Jangård (producer, JPG) Crew biographies (PDF) Full credit list (PDF) Production details (format, length etc, PDF)

For full press kit, please send a mail to: film@wgfilm.com

Or call our Sweden office:
+46 (0)40 781 50
+46 (0)40 23 20 98

July 8, 2009 – Fredrik Gertten, Margarete Jangard and WG Film, the filmmaker and producers of BANANAS!* were sued by Dole Food Company, Inc. for the screening of the film. The lawsuit claims that the film BANANAS!* is defamatory and false toward Dole Food Corporation.

• Download the full lawsuit (PDF) »

 

September 10, 2009 – attorneys for Fredrik Gertten, Margarete Jangård and WG Film AB filed a Motion to Strike Dole’s Complaint under California’s Anti-SLAPP statute, which allows the court to dismiss meritless lawsuits filed for the purpose of stifling protected speech.

• Download the full motion » (880 MB including video clips)

More downloads (separate PDF’s):

• The Anti-SLAPP motion »
• Director Fredrik Gertten’s declaration »
• Producer Margarete Jangård’s declaration »

In addition to filing an Anti-SLAPP Motion, WG Film AB also filed a Cross-Complaint against Dole, seeking to recover damages for Dole’s improper tactics in interfering with the film’s premiere and its participation in the Los Angeles Film Festival.

• Download the Cross-Complaint »

 

November 17, 2010 – The Los Angeles Superior Court granted the anti-SLAPP motion, struck Dole’s lawsuit with prejudice and ordered them to pay attorneys fees and costs in the amount of $200,000.

• The Anti-SLAPP ruling » (November 17, 2010)
• The Anti-SLAPP hearing transscript » (October 22, 2010)

 

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Related articles on this site:

• July 9, 2009: BANANAS!* is getting sued by Dole »
• July 28, 2009: First Amendment attorney to take on Dole lawsuit »
• Aug 13, 2009: Filmmakers express their support for BANANAS!* »
• Aug 24, 2009: German filmmakers warns Dole »
• Sep 2, 2009: Reporters Without Borders launches BANANAS!* petition online »
• Sep 10, 2009: BANANAS!* strike back at Dole »
• Oct 16, 2009: Dole to withdraw defamation suit
• Oct 29, 2009: BANANAS!* filmmakers withdraw counterclaim against Dole
•  June 16. 2010: The return to Los Angeles – court hearing and special screening
• June 18, 2010: Q&A with Fredrik Gertten about facing Dole in court 
• June 23, 2010: Court allows Dole to once again postpone the hearing date 
• November 29, 2010: Court strikes lawsuit against BANANAS!*

• All news »

Dole’s lawyers are trying to stop BANANAS!*. As they were unsuccessful with asking Judge Chaney (the judge in the Tellez case) to stop the film, Dole’s lawyers started writing letters to us, our US partner ITVS, the Los Angeles Film Festival, and the LA Film Festival’s corporate sponsors, demanding that we ‘cease and desist’ plans to screen the film on June 20 at the Festival, and anywhere else in the world.

Read the full story »

 

The letters from Dole and our replies (PDF):

• Letter from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (Dole), May 8, 2009
• Reply from Lee & Lawless (WG Film), May 15, 2009

• Letter from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (Dole), May 14, 2009
• Reply from Lee & Lawless (WG Film), May 28, 2009

• Letter from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (Dole) to the Swedish Ambassador, June 5, 2009

• Letter from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (Dole), June 23, 2009

 

Dagens Nyheter (4/5) »
Maaret Koskinen

Sydsvenskan (4/5) »
Michael Tapper

Gomorron Sverige, SVT (4/5) »
Göran Everdahl

Nyhetsmorgon, TV4 (4/5) »
Ronny Svensson

Expressen (4/5) »
Ronnit Hasson

Aftonbladet (4/5) »
Jan-Olov Andersson

 

Documentary Field Notes and Flashpoints, Nov 27, 2009
Magnus Isacsson

"I was at the edge of my seat, dying to see how the law suit was going to end. Well shot, well edited, and with judicious use of archives and court room footage, this is a really important film."

 

n:zone, July 28, 2009
Debbie Lynn Elias

"An extremely well crafted film, in addition to the courtroom drama, there is raw human emotion and even humor. This is life. This is litigation. This is a front row seat to a history making event, that of third world claimants being heard as plaintiffs for the first time in a U.S. Court."

"There is a polish to the overall production with its many textural components of archival footage, courtroom footage and present day observations and background material that makes for a compelling human drama. And as with all good documentaries, it raises questions – and not just about the legal turmoil – but about corporate responsibility, ethics and human rights."

"From a filmmaking standpoint, the documentary is informative, educational, interesting and gives one pause to think about not only the events in this film, but the agricultural industry itself."

 

Jesther Entertainment, June 24, 2009
Ed Rampell

"… an extremely well crafted, powerful chronicle of an important issue. If one looks closely, the viewer can see Dole’s side of the story also being told"

"… this film is doing what movies should be doing: after the Tuesday screening and panel (which ran to midnight) viewers were debating the picture’s pros and cons outside the theatre, stirring discussion about important social issues"

"BANANAS!* is food for thought, and LAFF’s must-see film"

 

Variety, June 22, 2009
Peter Debruge

"… an incredibly polished film"

"Swedish helmer Fredrik Gertten offers a front-row seat to a landmark “Erin Brockovich”-style trial …"

"The case could make history, marking the first time Third World agricultural workers are heard in U.S. court, and set precedent, allowing him to sue on behalf of the many other Chinandega locals awaiting their day in court."

"… “BANANAS!*” is quite balanced, airing the opening and closing arguments of both sides."

 

 

This is a collection of newspaper articles, blog posts and video clips about the recent events surrounding BANANAS!*

In English:

Dole withdraws lawsuit against Swedish filmmaker
Los Angeles Times / La Plaza
Deborah Bonello, October 16, 2009

Dole drops BANANAS!* lawsuit
The Local
David Landes, October 15, 2009

Swedish grocers demand talks with Dole over BANANAS!* lawsuit
The Local
David Landes, October 7, 2009

Swedish burger chain ditches Dole over BANANAS!* lawsuit
The Local
David Landes, October 6, 2009

Why Dole sues filmmakers
Dagens Nyheter / www.bananabook.org
Dan Koeppel, October 5, 2009

Swedish MPs back filmmaker’s battle with US food giant
The Local
David Landes, October 1, 2009

US food giant sues Swedish filmmaker
The Local
David Landes, July 10, 2009

Dole Food accuses ‘BANANAS!*’ filmmaker of slander, libel
Los Angeles Times
Victoria Kim, July 9, 2009

BANANAS!*
Hollywood Podcast (audio interview)
Tim Coyne, June 28, 2009

What a Week! Michael Jackson, “Public Enemies” and “BANANAS!*” at LAFF
indieWIRE
Brian Brooks, June 26, 2009

BANANAS!* The Film Dole Doesn’t Want You to See
Uprising Radio / KPFK 90,7 FM
June 23, 2009

Dole v. “BANANAS!*”
Business Ape
Christine Arena, June 22, 2009

What is the Documentarian’s Responsibility When the Story Changes?
All these wonderful things
AJ Schnack, June 22, 2009

Documentary draws ire of Dole after plot thickens
Florida Today, AP
Linda Deutsch, June 19, 2009

Special Event: 2009 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL: Must See Films
n:zone
Debbie Lynn Elias, June 19, 2009

Dole Claims BANANAS!* Film Documents Fraud
Business Week
Michael Orey, June 19, 2009

Dole fights against ‘BANANAS!*’
Mother Nature Network
Siel Ju, June 18, 2009

Dole Food Co. dislikes BANANAS!*
The Envelope, Los Angeles Times
Reed Johnson, June 16, 2009

Bananas over “BANANAS!”: The Dole Case Hits the Silver Screen
Law Blog, The Wall Street Journal
June 16, 2009

Documentary drives Dole Food Co. bananas
La Plaza, Los Angeles Times
June 16, 2009

Dole Threatens Filmmakers with Lawsuit
Fair Food Fight
June 16, 2009

Dole Goes Bananas Over Documentary on Nicaraguan Worker Abuse
RaceWire
Channing Kennedy, June 16, 2009

Documentary About Struggling Farm Workers Becomes ‘Case Study’ in Truthfulness
Media Decoder, New York Times
Michael Cieply, June 9, 2009

The Big Slip-Up
Los Angeles Business Journal
Alexa Hyland, June 8, 2009

 

In Swedish:
(For translation, please use Google translate)

SYDSVENSKA DAGBLADET

Dole vill inte betala Gertten
Arvid Jurjaks, October 29, 2009

Gertten drar tillbaka stämning
Arvid Jurjaks, October 29, 2009

Stämningen har lättat
Andreas Ekström, October 24, 2009

Svenska påtryckningar gav resultat
Thomas Frostberg, October 16, 2009

Dole har inte kontaktat mig
Hedvig Weibull, October 15, 2009

Dole drar tillbaka stämningen
Arvid Jurjaks, October 15, 2009

ICA:s krav: "Dra tillbaka stämningen"
Arvid Jurjaks, October 15, 2009

ICA kräver möte med Dole
TT, October 7, 2009

Filmare stöttar Fredrik Gertten
Arvid Jurjaks, August 10, 2009

"Omöjligt förstå Doles stämning"
Annika Gustavsson, August 2, 2009

Specialist försvarar BANANAS!*
Karin Arbsjö, July 28, 2009

Banankonflikten trappas upp
Arvid Jurjaks, July 11, 2009

Bananjätte stämmer Malmöfilmare
Arvid Jurjaks, July 9, 2009

Banankontakt
Nina Halling, June 23, 2009

Gerttens film visad efter lång palaver
Kristin Nord, June 21, 2009

BANANAS!* visas trots stämningshot
Karin Arbsjö, June 12, 2009

Budskapet är lika tydligt nu som då
Patrik Svensson, June 12, 2009

Malmöfilmare stoppas på festival
Niklas Lundell & Gustav Svensson,
June 11, 2009

 

DAGENS NYHETER

Dole: "BANANAS!* far med osanning"
Anders Forsström, August 5, 2009

Filmfestival: Farlig stämning
Barbro Hedvall, August 4, 2009

Stor advokatbyrå företräder BANANAS!*
Anders Forsström, July 29, 2009

Dags att bojkotta Dole – yttrandefrihet på bolagens villkor
Maria Schottenius, July 11, 2009

Bananjätte stämmer svensk filmare
Anders Forsström, July 9, 2009

 

HELSINGBORGS DAGBLAD

Sugen på en banan?
Johan Malmberg, August 3, 2009

Båstadaktuella BANANAS!* får vass försvarare
July, 29, 2009

Giftig film får dubbel visning
Göran Holmquist, July 27, 2009

Smutsiga bananer
Mats Kolmisoppi, July 14, 2009

Bananthriller inspirerar unga filmare
Katarina Höije, November 9, 2009

 

– – – – –

Evidens för reproduktionstoxisk effekt hos kemikalie ignorerad
Läkartidningen
Maria Albin & Aleksander Giwercman, September 8, 2009

Har DOLE fått bananas?
Expressen
Luciano Astudillo, June 22, 2009

Oschyssta bananer!
Dagens Arena
Eva Brandsam, June 18, 2009

Bananas att stoppa "BANANAS!*"
City
Tara Moshizi, June 17, 2009

Totally Bananas!
Grym Film
June 17, 2009

Filmen som får Dole att gå bananas
Resumé
Peter Willebrand, June 16, 2009

Storföretag stoppar film om bananindustrin
Stockholms Fria
Kristian Borg, June 16, 2009

Bananjätte försöker stoppa svensk dokumentär
Aktuellt, SVT
June 15, 2009

Svenskfilmen får inte tävla
Aftonblandet
Kerstin Danielson, June 15, 2009

BANANAS!*
la vie en sportive
June 15, 2009

Gertten i stort bråk
Expressen
Claes Carlson, June 12, 2009

Så ville Dole styra SVT
Dagens Media
June 12, 2009

Bananhjärnorna på Dole
Netpiracy & Netliberty
Joakim Holgersson, June 12, 2009

Malmöfilmare får inte tävla på festival
Skånska Dagbladet
Fredrik Thunberg, June 11, 2009

Amerikanska banankompaniet Dole hotar stämma malmöfilmaren Fredrik Gertten för filmen Bananas
Rapport/Sydnytt, SVT
Charlotte Lundgren, June 11, 2009

Ny dokumentär från Gertten
Sydnytt, SVT
Charlotte Lundgren, June 8, 2009