Cinema Libre Studios awesomely takes on Big Tobacco and Big Ag with the June 5, 2018 DVD & VOD releases of the documentary "Genetically Modified Children." This film by Juliette Igier and Stephanie LeBrun pulls the curtain back on Philip Morris essentially requiring tobacco farmers in Argentina to spray crops with Roundup from Monsanto and the Bayer insecticide Confidor despite the proverbial overwhelming evidence of the devastatingly harmful effects of doing so.
A brief synopsis of the underlying dilemma is that the quality standards that Philip Morris imposes on the farmers requires using the aforementioned toxic substances despite full knowledge of their nature. This coercion extends to tobacco growing being the only viable option for most of these men and Philip Morris being the only viable buyer for their product.
Igier and LeBrun introduce us to the horrifically malformed children and their families. These tough-to-watch tales include a boy whose lack of pores prevent him from sweating, which causes such discomfort that he scratches himself raw. Another child is virtually literally skins and bones.
Watching a young farmer bring his annual crop to market for the only payment that he will receive all year perfectly illustrates the coercion behind knowingly risking the health of relatives and unborn children. We see the man who assesses the crop state how the product falls short of the standard but agree to pay a reduced amount for it.
The story continues with the restrained farmer commenting on the unfair price while resigning himself to his lack of recourse.
Another story of how the chemicals contaminate the water supply to an extent that greatly adversely affects people who keep their distance from the fields further illustrates the scope of the problem. The pervasive television advertising by Monsanto adds tremendous insult to this injury.
It is equally predictable to see Philip Morris deny the harmful impact from the required weed and insect killers. The comparably anticipated insult this time is the strong-arm tactics of that corporate giant (which is 8 notches shy of making the Fortune 100) that prevent the injured from pursuing legal remedies.
A larger truth is that all documentaries are propaganda, and even propaganda that supports your view is propaganda. It is equally true that Igier and LeBrun most likely highlight the most severe cases in order to bolster their arguments.
The better news for our documentarians and the affected people is that there is no denying that the conditions of the children are almost certainly due to the relevant exposure to chemicals. The same can be said regarding the studied cancer clusters. Further, all this is completely consistent with general public knowledge regarding both the use of chemicals in farming and the behavior of corporate giants. A sad aspect of this is that the HUGE tobacco settlements in the U.S. seem to have lacked any punitive impact on Philip Morris.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Children" is encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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