Teaser
- Percy Schmeiser - Farmer in Canada - is fighting against Monsanto and for his rights.
Synopsis
- Imagine that a storm blows across your garden – and that now, without your knowledge and without your consent, foreign and
genetically-manipulated seeds are in your vegetable patch which you have nourished and maintained for many years. A few
days later, representatives of a multi-national corporate group pay you a visit at home, demand that you surrender your
vegetables - and simultaneously file a criminal complaint against you, resulting in a fine of USD 20.000,00 – for the illegal use
of patented and genetically-manipulated seeds. What's more: The court finds for the corporate group! Yet you fight back...
This short story is no utopia – rather, around the world, the bitter truth. It is also the true experience of the family of Percy and
Louise Schmeiser in Canada, also winners of the Alternative Nobel Prize, who meanwhile have been fighting the chemicals
and seed manufacturer Monsanto since 1996. Nowadays, nearly three-fourths of genetically-manipulated plants harvested
worldwide originate from Monsanto labs. Monsanto is a U.S.-based corporate group which calls dismal inventions such as
DDT, PCB and Agent Orange its own. In its effort to gain absolute hegemony over plants - from the field all the way to the
consumer's plate - Monsanto knows no qualms. The farmers Troy Rush, David Runyon and Marc Loiselle also learned the
hard way what it means to be confronted with Monsanto's methods of doing business, as did thousands of other farmers
worldwide.
They and the Schmeisers are not just fighting against Monsanto – and with that, for the continuation of their livelihood as
farmers – but also for the right to freedom of speech and the right to their property.
Yet above all, they are campaigning for the future of their children and grandchildren – so that they, too, will have a chance to
grow up in a world without genetically-manipulated food.
This film is reassuring. Reassuring to all who fear that as an individual, no one would have any power to confront policymakers,
large corporations or the business world. "David vs. Monsanto" proves the opposite.
Crew
- Director: Bertram Verhaag
- Director of photography: Waldemar Hauschild
- Editor (Cut): Verena Schönauer
- Sound: Zoltan Ravasz VDT
- Production company: DENKmal-Film Verhaag GmbH
- Distributed by: DENKmal-Film Verhaag GmbH
Awards
- (2010) THE CHRIS AWARD AT THE 58TH COLUMBUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Columbus, USA
- (2010) THE COLUMBUS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY JOURNALISM AWARD, Columbus, USA
Festivals
- (2009) GZ DOV, Guangzhou, China
- (2010) Global Peace Film Fest, Orlando, USA
- (2010) The Film Festival of Colorado, Denver, USA
- (2010) FIPA German Films, Biarritz, France
- (2010) St. Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis, USA
- (2010) Twin Cities Film Fest, Minneapolis, USA
- (2010) Ellensburg Film Festival, Ellensburg USA
- (2010) The Columbus International Film Festival, Columbus, USA
- (2011) Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival, Nevada City, USA
- (2011) 8th Int. Audiovisual Festival of Biodiversity, Rom, Italy
