July 9, 2009 – Late Wednesday afternoon, Fredrik Gertten, Margarete Jangard and WG Film, the filmmaker and producers of the documentary feature film, BANANAS!* were sued by Dole Food Company, Inc. for the screening of the film. The lawsuit claims that the film BANANAS!* – a court room documentary – is defamatory and false toward Dole Food Corporation.
Through their lawyer, Richard J. Lee, Esq. of Lee and Lawless, the filmmakers and WG Film issued a statement. Richard J. Lee said today:
"My clients and I believe that this suit is without merit and represents the latest in a continued line of intimidating harassment by a multinational corporation aimed squarely at a small, independent film and its filmmakers.
It is unfortunate that rather than concentrate its resources toward genuinely addressing the acts it admitted to, and was found liable of committing as covered in the film, Dole instead chooses to stifle even basic discussion by attempting to silence the messenger of a message it dislikes.
Moreover, it is appalling that through this action, Dole is attempting to shift the focus away from its own CEO’s court admission that Dole continued the usage of a banned pesticide even after being informed of its harm by its manufacturer Dow Chemicals, and now on to WG Film which captured that moment on film.
It is important to note that Dole committed to suing WG Film without seeing the film.
Dole has touted a judge’s later finding against one of the attorneys in the case shown in the film which did not in fact exonerate Dole or its actions in Nicaragua.
In all screenings of the film which have occurred to date we have disclosed the judge’s findings and put the trial fully in context with events which happened after the completion of this documentary."
Just a few weeks ago, BANANAS!* screened twice out of competition as a special screening at the recent Los Angeles Film Festival. Dole had sought a court order to block the film’s screening prior to the Festival’s opening in June 2009.
However, Judge Victoria Chaney who presided over that hearing stated to the Dole legal team and the entire courtroom:
“Just so we are clear, I am not in any way going to make, and I will not consider, any request for prior restraint on free speech. Okay? So, don’t ask me to go try and contact the film company. I don’t have jurisdiction over them. But even if I did, don’t ask me for it.”
BANANAS!* is produced by WG Film based in Malmö, Sweden, which has also produced notable documentaries including BURMA VJ and FINAL IMAGE.
Download the full defamation complaint (PDF) »
Download this press release (PDF) »
Let the truth be known.
Comment by p. persson (Sweden) — July 9, 2009 @ 3:53 pm
No more Dole!
Ever.
Comment by Åsa Arroy — July 9, 2009 @ 4:37 pm
It seems that Dole company has a lot of hybris and that they want a silent world!
Please make a film of other fruitcompanies, you will certainly find more.
Comment by T.Johansson — July 9, 2009 @ 8:30 pm
its sick!
rather chiquita or some other company that i can buy bananas from… you suck
Comment by fredrik — July 9, 2009 @ 8:39 pm
The Swedish folks will now see what it is like to be David and face Goliath. Dole will exert unimaginable pressure in the next few days and WG will back off if they are smart.
Comment by little banana — July 10, 2009 @ 3:43 am
I just put Dole on my shit list.
(And oh, it reminds me of what was once written in Blandaren: “Så lättsmält att det smakar skit redan i munnen!”)
Comment by Mikael — July 10, 2009 @ 8:28 am
There’s something really wrong with a system that allows a corporation to try and pressure someone into silence! Unlimited resources for lawyers against a small production company… But it’s already coming back at them. This process is what’s gonna hurt Dole’s reputation really bad!
Comment by Johan Hallberg — July 10, 2009 @ 9:06 am
The Streisand effect is working for you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect). You are getting your publicity WG!
Mikael don’t forget that David won his fight with Goliath.
Comment by Kaveh — July 10, 2009 @ 9:19 am
Even more reason to Buy Organic!
Comment by S Hame — July 10, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
Dear Management at Dole
Please prove to us that it is safe for the workers to provide us with Dole Bananas.
You could send your son’s working at the plantation for a few months side by side with the locals.
I am sure that your teen age sons would not mind the cultural experience.
regards
A concerned consumer
Comment by FixScoliosis — July 10, 2009 @ 10:22 pm
Boycott Dole! That´s the only argument they understand!
Comment by Nisse — July 11, 2009 @ 12:03 am
Dole will not only loose this court case, they will also loose allot of customers. Say no to bananas altogether.
Comment by Ikky — July 11, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
Good idea suggesting Dole management to send their children as workers! Other victims of this kind of agriculture are of course wildlife and the environment. When buying exotic fruit, please make sure it is organic and fair trade.
Comment by Angelica — July 11, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
Yeah it all comes down to Robert Murdoch the owner of Dole Foods who will do anything to keep from paying out these legitimate injury claims from these poor banana workers. It is Robert Murdock the big jewish republican with lots of cash to support arnold swarzennegger´s govt and to have arnold appoint a Judge like Victoria Channey to the bench. Unbelievable. Rest assured that God is the final judge in this case not Judge Chaney and all these culprits to include Robert Murdock the owner of Dole Foods that he will face God´s Judgement.
Comment by unholy — July 12, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
Dear friends, thank you for being active here. It is very interesting to look into the deeds of David Murdoch. But I would leave his religion out of this. I believe Jews, Christians, Muslims, Swedes, Americans can do good things. And bad things. Let’s try and focus on the important issue here: the afflicted workers in the thirld world and of course our own stuggle for the freedom of speach.
Comment by Fredrik Gerten — July 13, 2009 @ 9:08 am
I’m not sure what “unholy” finds relevant about an owner being “a big jewish republican” (sic). Another factor here is that people are parading around as if informed, even though almost no one on either side of the argument has even seen the film (this sounds about as enlightened as the ignorant, self-appointed censorship commissions of the past out to protect us from ourselves). Although there does seem to be a stink floating through the air and a clear attempt at prior restraint of free speech on the part of a paranoid and fearful corporation obsessed with PR (which a judge already refused in this case), a bit of intellectual honesty would be nice. So, who has actually seen the film? What are the exact charges? What is the evidence? And how coherently and convincingly do the filmmakers present this evidence? If you’ve seen the film, please opine. Otherwise please qualify your views if you have yet to see the film. Otherwise you come off as an uninformed internet ranter. Wait a minute — this is the internet, and 99% of people on it are uninformed and prone to rant…so take it all back and shout from the rooftops.
Comment by Brzobohaty — July 27, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
Eh, well, do one about Chiquita! Wal-Mart is squeezing them. Imagine THAT!
Comment by Skip Stone — July 28, 2009 @ 2:16 am
How does anyone buy a “banned” pesticide? Why is a company selling a “banned” pesticide? Just stick to Organic! I will never buy Dole again for the mere fact that they are fighting this too hard.
Comment by Julie — August 17, 2009 @ 2:21 am
[…] BANANAS!* is getting sued by Dole » […]
Pingback by The BANANAS!* lawsuit | BANANAS!* — August 27, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
Never back down.
Comment by Peter — August 28, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
[…] plantations. However, Dole did everything they could to prevent this film from showing including suing the filmmaker for defamation. Eventually, Bananas! was allowed to be shown, but it is still known as “The movie that Dole […]
Pingback by Protest Dole’s Unfair and Unsafe Labor Practices on Banana Plantations - ForceChange — February 26, 2012 @ 6:22 pm
[…] plantations. However, Dole did everything they could to prevent this film from showing including suing the filmmaker for defamation. Eventually, Bananas! was allowed to be shown, but it is still known as “The movie that Dole […]
Pingback by Protest Dole’s Unfair and Unsafe Labor Practices on Banana Plantations « Our Compass — February 28, 2012 @ 10:04 pm
Great Job exposing these corporate Zionist monsters…they are using our food (which is now poisonous) and our water (full of flouride and pharmaceuticals) and our air (Geoengineering using Aluminum and barium and other chemicals) to cull the population….we need to fight against all of this and start growing youre own food, and looking out for yourself and youre family, youre government is not going to…
Comment by Natalie — September 7, 2014 @ 12:31 pm