Big Boys Gone Bananas

I take it back.  In my last post I suggested that the Enviromental Film Festival Melbourne might on the whole not run to uplifting, if not quite humerous material.  I was wrong.  Last night I went again and saw Big Boys Gone Bananas.  It is an uplifting film and shows what can be achieved when individuals, groups and institutions support morally relevant action.  It did however take a Swedish culture to support the outcome, and unforunately we do not all have that.  It is almost enough though to suggest moving to Sweden.

The movie, by Fredrik Gertten, (2011,Sweden; 1 hour 30 mins) is worth watching:

"What happens when a large, multinational corporation senses a threat to its reputation? A Swedish filmmaker inadvertently found out after producing his film BANANAS!*.

This documentary explores the true story about this filmmaker and a banana corporation, and the dirty tricks, lawsuits, manipulation used to silence him.

Ultimately, it explores the price of free speech: Dole spent a lot of time and money trying to kill the story of BANANAS!*. As Dole's own public relations company stated, "it is easier to cope with a bad conscience than a bad reputation.""