IDFA 2011
Raising Resistance
Bettina Borgfeld, David Bernet
Germany, Switzerland
2011
84 min
International Premiere
The ground in Paraguay is perfect for the cultivation of soy. In recent years, countless acres of forest have been chopped down to make room for the growing of this protein-rich bean. The land of a farmer named Geronimo is now completely surrounded by soy plantations. These are generously sprayed with pesticides - poison that only the genetically modified soy plants are immune to. Unfortunately, the pesticides spread farther than the boundaries of the soy fields. So not only is there less and less land for the \i campesinos\i0 , or local farmers like Geronimo, but it also becomes impossible for them to cultivate healthy crops themselves. In \i Raising Resistance\i0 , Bettina Borgfeld and David Bernet capture the \i campesinos\i0 as they revolt against the enormous soy business in their country. Led by the ever-friendly Geronimo, they squat a section of farmland, try to stop the spraying of pesticides, and make their voices heard in the media. The filmmakers also give the floor to the large landowners.
Credits
World Sales
Dreamer Joint Venture
Dreamer Joint Venture
Screening copy
Dreamer Joint Venture
Dreamer Joint Venture
Production
Editing
Co-production
Pandora Film,
maximage GmbH
Pandora Film,
maximage GmbH
Involved TV Channel
ARD/WDR,
ARTE
ARD/WDR,
ARTE