Into the Weeds: Dewayne "Lee" Johnson vs Monsanto Company

dir. Jennifer Baichwal / 2022 / Canada / 97min.
Dewayne Johnson, a Bay Area groundskeeper, became the face of a legal battle to hold a multi-national agrochemical corporation accountable for a product with misleading labeling.

Dewayne Johnson, a Bay Area groundskeeper, suffered from rashes in 2014 and wondered if they were caused by the herbicide he'd been using for the past couple of years. As his health deteriorated, Johnson became the face of a David-and-Goliath legal battle to hold a multi-national agrochemical corporation accountable for a product with allegedly misleading labeling. Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, has been a signature product for the multinational agrochemical corporation for over four decades. Used by industrial farms, golf courses and suburban homeowners with a grudge against dandelions, it is sold in more than 130 nations. Scientists raised concerns about its environmental impact and carcinogenic properties, but the deep-pocketed corporation's lawyers, lobbyists and marketers deflected numerous studies and disputed the findings. Acclaimed director Jennifer Baichwal follows Johnson through his battle, setting his personal journey against a global environmental crisis. 

duration:
97 min
country / year of production:
Canada / 2022
director:
Jennifer Baichwal
cinematography:
Nicolas de Pencier, John Price
producer:
Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier / Mercury Films
selected festivals and awards:
2022 – Hot Docs Toronto, 2022 – Green FF San Francisco, 2022 – MFF Jihlava
sections:
Climate for Change
competitions:
Green Warsaw Award
tags:
politics ecology economy human rights USA activism court

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Other films in the competition Green Warsaw Award