Metro Cinema Society: Big Boys Gone Bananas!*

Big Boys Gone Bananas!*

Sweden 2012, 88 min, Digital, Dir: Fredrik Gertten

In 2009, Fredrik Gertten’s documentary, Bananas!*, chronicling a lawsuit against controversial food giant Dole was set to premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Dole responded with an aggressive media and public relations campaign to quash the film’s release and discredit the reputation of the filmmakers. The filmmaking team behind Bananas!* refused to be bullied, filing a counter-suit and launching their own media strategy. Their point was that no one suing them had even seen the film! A true documentarian, Gertten picks up his camera again to capture his fight for free speech. Big Boys Gone Bananas!* is an in-depth case study of an independent filmmaker’s David and Goliath battle with a corporate machine whose financial and political influence must be exposed. (Lynne Crocker, Hot Docs).

DOCTALK presents the opening night screening on June 8 @ 7pm:

6:30-7:00: Live music by Edmontonʼs most active activist, Paula Eve Kirman

7:00-8:30: Bring your drinks into the theatre for the Opening Night Screening of Big Boys Gone Bananas!*

8:30-9:00: Q&A via Skype with Bart Simpson, Canadian co-producer of Bananas and subject of Big Boys Gone Bananas!*, facilitated by Rosie Dransfeld.

Price: $10, regular Metro Cinema admission, $8 for DOC Members. No charge for music performance but donations will be gratefully accepted.

(DOCTALK is a monthly partnership with Doc Alberta - www.docorg.ca/en/chapters/alberta - an opportunity for discourse around documentaries through post-screening discussions).