Lisbon
AbuDhabi
Sarajevo
Lemesos
Date to be confirmed.
Cape Town
Paris, France
Date to be confirmed.
Moscow, Russia
Los Angeles, USA
Washington DC, US
New York, US
Two hours and twenty minutes before the screening we got the green light from the festival board. It was not an easy move for them, but we left it in their hands and the festival did they right thing. We are grateful for that.
At least ten people from Dole were in the audience, taking notes. The audience loved the film. The debate was insane, but we did well. The sympathy fell on our side.
BANANAS!*, filmmaker Fredrik Gertten’s suspenseful, layer-peeling, non-fiction chronicle on the global politics of food and First vs. Third world dynamics, will be presented in special spotlight screenings at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival on June 20 and June 23, 2009 in Westwood.
Juan “Accidentes” Dominguez is on his biggest case ever. On behalf of twelve Nicaraguan banana workers he is tackling Dole Food Co. in a ground-breaking legal battle for their use of a banned pesticide that sterilized workers. Can he beat the giant, or will the corporation get away with it? In the suspenseful documentary BANANAS!*, filmmaker Fredrik Gertten sheds new light on the global politics of food.
Read more on the BANANAS!* web site bananasthemovie.com
As you may have heard, our film has been under a microscope. The Los Angeles Business Journal, in an article in their June 8 edition, cited the following headline:
“Documentary on lawyer needs fact-check”.
Unfortunately, the LA Business Journal could not have fact checked their own article let alone the film, because they haven’t seen it.
In fact to date, no one from Dole, Dole’s lawyers - Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP - or the Los Angeles Business Journal have actually seen the film. Their comments are based on pure speculation.
Judge Chaney responded directly to the lawyers and the court when Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP went to her court on May 8 to stop my film from being shown.
Filmmaker Fredrik Gertten answers his critics after film is attacked by Dole Foods and The Los Angeles buisiness jounal:
“My film, BANANAS!* follows this first historic court case in Los Angeles Superior Court. The film ends with a verdict from the jury. And now, that verdict is under appeal. The recent hearing of April 21 and 23, 2009 happened at a moment after the film was delivered to all broadcasters and to the festival. Because of this new development, we did make a change in the end title cards which updated the audiences as to Judge Chaney’s new rulings.”
Read the full interview on bananasthemovie.com
Andrés Habeggers film Final Image on Leonardo Henrichsen, the cameraman that filmed his own death under a coup attempt in Chile 1973, got an honorary mention and one award for Best Latin American documentary at The International Film Festival of Uruguay.
The film is a copro between Argentina/Sweden/Chile/Denmark supported by the film institutes in Argentina, Sweden and Denmark and Sundance Documentary Fund. Broadcasters onboard are SVT, DR and SBS of Australia.
Thin Ice won the price for Best Mountains, Sports and Adventure Film Award at Domzale Mountain Film Festival in Slovenia last week.
Words from the jury:
Thin Ice won the award for the funny and sincere theme of culutre in utmost natural sorrounding.
The team behind WG Films up-coming documentary The Forest has returned from the woods in Central America with new material. The movie will have it's preimere in the end of 2009. Read more about the film...
Anders Østergaad's movie Burma VJ - Reporting from a closed country won in the selection World Cinema Documentary Editing Award on Sundance. The proud editors are Janus Billeskov Jansen och Thomas Papapetros, both from Denmark.
The cable tv company HBO announced to the press that they won the struggle for the rights on the American market. Everything points to that the film will be shown on cinemas in the US.
2008 was a fantastic year for Burma VJ'S. After two double wins on IDFA and CPH DOX the film is off to Sundance Film festival. Burma VJ's is the first time that WG Film compeetes on the legendary American film festival that is held from the 15th - 25th of January.
Anders Østergaards film Burma VJ:s - Reporting from a closed country won the Joris Ivens prize at IDFA in Amsterdam. The prize sum is 12.500 Euro. The film also was also selected best film in the Amnesty International sponsored "Movies that matters".
WG film has co produced this film together with Magic Hour film in Denmark and Mediamente from Norway. The Swedish input in the film is funds from Swedish Film Institute, SVT and composer Conny Malmqvist and sound designer Martin Hennel. Read more >>>
Next step is the Sundance Festival in January 2009.
WG Film proudly presents that Final Image had it's premiere on Mar Del Plata Filmfestival in Argentina.
The documentary about the photographer Leonardo Henrichsen who filmed his own murder, is a co-production between Habitacion 1520 (Argentina), Aplapac (Chile), Magic Hour Films (Denmark) och WG Film (Sweden).
Reed more about the film here!
Wg Film's co-production Final Image has been selected to DOCSDF, Mexico's International Documentary Film Festival, on 15-24 October 2009.
The film will compete in the section Best Latin-American Documentary.
This is a part of newspaper articles, blog posts and video clips about the recent events surrounding BANANAS!*
Dole Food Co. dislikes BANANAS!*
The Envelope, Los Angeles Times
By 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
See whole collection at www.bananasthemovie.com
Burma VJ has been shortlisted for UK's leading award One World Media Awards in the most prestigious category The International Documentary Award. The ceremony will be taking place in London on 22nd June.
The film has won 19 awards, and has been selected of more than 80 film festivals since the premiere in November 2008.
See full list of awards
Wg Film has a newly opened webshop, Wg Shop, where you can buy all our films on DVD. The shop supports PayPal.
The architect foundation Caja de arquitectos in Barcelona have released a spanish edition on Fredrik Gerttens film about the Turning Torso. The book contains the dvd and info about the creator of the building, Santiago Calatrava.
"El socialista, El arquitecto y la Turning Torso" is number 6 in the film selection of new architechture, from the publishers Arquia Documental.
Reed more about the film...