Oscilloscope has snapped up US rights to Bananas!*, directed by Sweden’s Fredrik Gertten, who also executive produced.

The documentary, which is screening at the Berlinale, is being handled internationally by Peter Jäger’s Austrian sales outfit Autlook Filmsales.
Bananas!* tells the story of Juan ‘Accidentes’ Dominguez, a campaigning lawyer who represents 12 workers at a Nicaraguan banana plantation in a lawsuit against their employers, Dole Food. They alleged that working for Dole had caused their infertility through the use of a banned pesticide.
Dole launched a lawsuit against the film-maker but it was eventually withdrawn after a petition was launched by Swedish politicians, who pushed for a major boycott of Dole products. The suit was dropped in mid-October 2009.
Autlook chief executive Jäger said: “I’ve always seen Bananas!* as a brilliant court-case thriller like Erin Brockovich.”

 

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