Frederick Gertten did not set out to make this film. Originally, it was an entirely different film that was making headlines. Bananas!*, released in 2009, documented a successful lawsuit brought against the Dole Food Company by Nicaraguan migrant workers because of the company’s use of banned pesticides. Gertten was at the Los Angeles Film Festival for the U.S. premiere when things started to go haywire. Unhappy with a portrayal they felt was slanderous, Dole instigated an all-out war of intimidation. With an army of lawyers and a wealth of resources, they delivered cease-and-desist letters to everyone involved with the film—including the film festival and its sponsors—and brought a defamation lawsuit against Gertten. With the pacing and plotting of a taut supermarket thriller, Big Boys Gone Bananas!* follows Gertten as he fights to save his name and reputation, as well as to turn the tide of public opinion against Dole. Who says there’s no such thing as bad press?  RM