Swedish director Fredrik Gertten receives post from multinational food giant Dole. The message's tone is not happy. Dole threaten him with legal action if his film criticising banana plantations Bananas (2009) is shown in public. Soon festivals planning to show the film, journalists writing about it and those close to Gertten also receive post. Pressure, manipulation and media war -- the plantations' problems cannot be spoken about publicly.
In the sequel to the film Bananas, one man's banana war grows into a national fight for freedom of speech. When Gertten gets Swedish Members of Parliament on his side, cinema distribution of the film is arranged in Sweden. However, in the USA Dole manages to pressure festivals and editorial offices to side with it. The film draws a parallel between the USA and the Nordic countries in a way that stings: money or freedom of speech, which will win?
Directed by | Fredrik Gertten |