Luncheon Speaker

Fredrik Gertten, Filmmaker

Big Boys Gone Bananas!* and Bananas!*

Fredrik Gertten is a Swedish filmmaker and journalist. In 2009, Mr. Gertten's documentary, Bananas!*, highlighted the plight of twelve Nicaraguan workers on the Dole Food Company banana plantation, who sued the food giant for negligently exposing them to DBCP, which allegedly caused sterility. After the film's initial screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2009, Dole sued Mr. Gertten for defamation. Amid threats of further litigation from Dole's attorneys, the LA Film Festival removed the documentary from competition. Mr. Gertten and his legal team fought back, filing a special motion to strike the complaint under California's anti-SLAPP statute. In response to the motion—and with the film effectively silenced—Dole voluntarily dropped its defamation suit without prejudice. A year later, the California Superior Court granted the defendant's motion and fully vindicated the film on the defamation claim, thus making its distribution possible. The court held that Dole’s lawsuit lacked "minimal merit" and that a "careful review of the film did not support Dole’s assertions" in the complaint. Dole was ordered to pay defendants' attorneys' fees. Gertten's fight for the film and freedom of speech won international recognition. In Sweden, he was awarded the Anna Politkovskaya Freedom of Speech Award.

This past year, Mr. Gertten directed the film, Big Boys Gone Bananas!*, which documents Dole's efforts to suppress and discredit Bananas!* through litigation, intimidation and PR spin. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Out of an abundance of caution, Gertten attended the festival with his media defense attorney at his side.

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