SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Bananas!*
A Case Study
In his most recent film, Fredrik Gertten chronicles the case of Nicaraguan banana laborers, represented by L.A.
attorney Juan Dominguez, against the companies that they claim poisoned them with pesticides. Between the films'
completion and its premiere at this year's Festival, critical new elements of the case have come to light.
What happens when a story continues to evolve after the shooting stops? This case study and screening will explore
the relationship between documentary filmmaking objective and subjective point of view, as well as the rights and
responsibilities of activist filmmaking.
Bananas!*
Sweden 80 minutes
English and Spanish with English subtitles
Juan Dominguez is used to winning. He owns a million dollar personal
injury law firm, a red Porsche, and one of the most familiar faces in
DIRECTOR Fredrik Gertten
PRODUCER Margarete Jangård
Los Angeles, thanks to the ads on countless buses emblazoned with
CINEMATOGRAPHER Frank Pineda
his trademark “ACCIDENTES.” When Dominguez learns of Nicaraguan EDITOR Jesper Osmund
banana workers who are suffering from the alleged side effects of
FEATURING Juan Dominguez
exposure to the pesticide Nemagon, he decides to put his skills to
use on what will become the first case brought by non-U.S. citizens
against a U.S. multinational corporation held in a U.S. court.
Bananas!* chronicles this historic case, which revolves around 12
banana workers who claim to be suffering from sterility and who are
seeking a ruling against their employer, Dole Fruit, whom they say
continued to use Nemagon until 1982, even though the chemical had
FREDRIK GERTTEN
been banned in the U.S. in 1977.
BORN: Malmö