Tue May 22 2012

DAVID VS. MONSANTO a movie review
by Emily Journey
November 29, 2010

Although the showing of David and Monsanto appeared to be a sold out showing at the Gateway Film Center on Sunday night, there were plenty of open seats--a result of online ticket buyers making other plans for the night. Or, for the more conspiratorial of us, a Monsanto employee may have bought up the remaining tickets at the box office in order to reduce the number of viewers. Oh, laugh now, but you may wonder after seeing the film.

David and Monsanto is the story of Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser and his legal struggle with corporate biotech company Monsanto. (Also featured is Troy Roush, an Indiana farmer of FOOD, INC. documentary fame.) This movie is a first hand account of the increasingly familiar tale of Monsanto harassing farmers with every means possible--civil lawsuits, stalking, trespassing, slander, threats, and crop contamination.

Percy Schmeiser is clearly no sophisticated businessman. He is a simple farmer. Perhaps that is why his message is so powerful. When Percy Schmeiser says, "GMO is about controlling the food supply" I believe him.

The documentary falls short with an obvious lack of testimony from scientists who may be able to support Schmeiser's claim that GMO seeds have "terminator" genes that can make non-GMO seeds sterile. According to Schmeiser and other farmers, GMO seeds have contaminated the world food supply almost to the point of no return.

These, and other important claims point to the heart of the greater issue of world domination by multinational corporations. Yeah, world domination. That's what I'm saying.

Sound unbelievable? Consider this: one of the many reasons people immigrated to North America--the New World--was the desire for religious freedom. The church had become an instrument of the corrupt government. As a result, the organized church of the western world lost credibility with the people it was meant to protect and serve.

What do we see today? The government has become an instrument of the corrupt corporation. As a result, our government has lost credibility with people it is meant to protect and serve.

That is the story of David and Monsanto: the story of our enslavement to large corporate interests such as Monsanto. Serfdom has returned. We no longer own our land or the food that is grown on it. Judge for yourself. See David and Monsanto. The film is one of many terrific films sponsored by the Columbus International Film & Video Festival and by the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism. The next public showing will be posted at www.chrisawards.org.

Emily Journey is a resident of Columbus, OH. She can be seen acting out at various protests and liberal gatherings. See what she is up to at www.gmowatch.com

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