Bananas!* facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bananas! |
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| Directed by | Fredrik Gertten |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | See below |
| Music by | Nathan Larson |
| Cinematography |
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| Editing by | Jesper Osmund |
| Studio | novemberfilm |
| Distributed by | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
| Release date(s) | 20 June 2009 |
| Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | English |
Bananas!* is a 2009 Swedish documentary film. A documentary is a movie that tells a true story about real events and people. This film was directed by Fredrik Gertten. It explores a big disagreement between a company called Dole Food Company and banana farm workers in Nicaragua. The workers claimed they faced serious health problems because of a chemical called DBCP, which was used as a pesticide on the banana farms.
Contents
The Story of Bananas!*
What the Film is About
The movie Bananas!* focuses on the claims made by banana plantation workers. They believed that a pesticide used on the farms caused them to become very ill. The film shows their struggle to get justice and how they tried to hold the Dole Food Company responsible for their health issues.
The Lawsuit and What Happened Next
After the film was shown at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2009, the Dole Food Company was not happy. They said the film contained "false information." On July 8, Dole sued the director, Fredrik Gertten, for defamation. Defamation means saying or writing something untrue that harms someone's reputation.
Before the lawsuit, Dole had already warned the LA Film Festival about legal action. This caused some sponsors to stop supporting the festival. The film was even removed from the festival's competition. However, Dole later dropped their lawsuit against Fredrik Gertten and Bananas!* on October 15, 2009.
A Victory for Filmmakers
In September 2009, something special happened in Sweden. Two members of the Swedish parliament, Mats Johansson and Luciano Astudillo, arranged for the movie to be shown in the Swedish Parliament. This was the first time the film was shown in Sweden.
Later, in 2010, a court in Los Angeles made an important decision. The court ruled in favor of the filmmakers. This meant they could finally release the movie in the United States. The judge also awarded the filmmakers nearly $200,000 to help cover their legal fees and other costs.
In 2011, Fredrik Gertten made another film called Big Boys Gone Bananas!*. This movie was about the challenges he faced and how his company was sued by Dole.
Cast
- Byron Rosales Romero
- Juan J. Dominguez
- Duane Miller
- Rick McKnight
- David Delorenzo
- Mercedes Del Carmen Romero
