Bonita: Ugly Bananas will be broadcast on the Community Channel 8.30pm and can be viewed online from 27th July 2008

Watch Trailer

Bonita: Ugly Bananas

(visit the Green Gold web site for screening news)

Jan Nimmo has been gathering images and testimonies to make a series of portraits of banana workers since 2001. In spring 2002 she visited Ecuador for the first time. Although it is the world's largest exporter of bananas, the workers have the lowest pay and the worst conditions in the whole of Latin America. Ecuador's biggest banana baron is Álvaro Noboa of the Bonita Brands company.

Noboa is Ecuador's richest man and owns the world's fourth largest banana company but his workers are only paid $3.00 a day - a lot less than the legal minimum wage. In 2002 he was running for president of the Rebublic. The economic and political power of big business means that less than 1% of banana workers in Ecuador are members of unions. Álvaro Noboa has stated "I don't like unions - I will fight them".

When workers decided to organise and strike to gain the most basic of labour rights, Jan found herself witnessing the violent attack on a peaceful occupation of a Bonita banana plantation.

Jan Nimmo's 23 minute, award winning documentary, "Bonita: Ugly Bananas", was premiered at the Document 2 Human Rights Festival, Glasgow in Sept. 2005.

The film is an ideal tool for groups and organisations who are interested in human and labour rights and unfair trade.

Copies are available in DVD and VHS format in Spanish and English: contact Jan

PURA VIDA?

Jan has recently completed her second documentary film, Pura Vida?, which exposes the devastating effects that agrochemicals used on Costa Rica's pineapple and banana plantations have on workers, communities and the environment. She worked with local trade unionist, Carlos Arguedas and his union, SITRAP to make this film.

The film was premiered at Document 4 Human Rights Film Festival in Glasgow, Scotland - Oct 2006

http://www.variant.randomstate.org/

It has been selected by FICMAC - the 14th International Environmental Film Fetsival of Catalonia and will be screened in Prat de Llobregat on 7th June 2007.

Copies are available in DVD format in Spanish and English: contact Jan

PURA VIDA? SCREENINGS

BONITA and PURA VIDA
FAIRTADE FOUNDATION FILM FESTIVAL
June - Various venues around London
Information about events on London Fair Trade

DOUBLE BILL @ EDINBURGH WORLD JUSTICE FESTIVAL
28th June St Augustine’s United Church Edinburgh

Information about events at EWJF

Pura Vida has been selected for FICMAC, the 14th International Environmental Film Festival of Catalunya Information about FICMAC

BONITA and PURA VIDA Fair Trade Not Slave Trade Exhibition. Methodist Central Hall, Hull 24th - 30th May

CTDU PREMIER
Bothkennar Centre for Citizen Education. Haughs of Airth
about CTDU

Edinburgh International Science Festival - Double bill Bonita and Pura Vida?

7th April, Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens

To book tickets and for information

Dundee Fair Trade Forum and Abertay Fair Trade Steering Committee

Abertay University, McLure Building, Top Floor Monday 5th March 07 6pm with Mireya Rodriguez , SITRAP, Costa Rica

Byre Theatre St Andrews Green Gold Exhibition 26 February

information

Camcorder Guerrillas Cinema, CCA Glasgow 31Jan 07

http://www.camcorderguerillas.net/joom/ and http://www.rcca.co.uk/events/

http://www.cca-glasgow.com/events/camcorder_jan_07.html

Moviemientos - Latin American Network, London 1 Feb 07

Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art in Dundee, Scotland as part of the DocX programme.

Collaborative Projects

Since 2004, Jan has been a member of Camcorder Guerrillas and has worked on a number of film-making projects with this independent Glasgow-based collective. Get a copy of Dungavel, Monster of the Glen, the Guerrillas latest film!

Jan has been working at Glasgow Women's Library to record archive testimonies of the women who have used the library over the last 10 years. She has also been documenting the space at the library's current location at Trongate, before GWL move to its new, permanent home at the Mitchell Library in 2007. Some video has been shown at the Flying Colour's Exhibition at Glasgo University during the RaPAL conference, "Transforming Literacies". To see Stitch and Bitch and Beatrice's Journey on DVD contact Jan.

Recently Jan has worked with CTDU volunteers to make a video review of the CTDU's Volunteer Mentoring Project.

Jan is just completed short film "La Chacina de la Suerte " which was filmed in the Sierra de Aracena, Huelva, Spain which documents the annual ritual of preparing hams and making of chorizo by the Tristancho family from the La Suerte Stables in Galaroza. To order a copy contact Jan

SCOTTISH PREMIERE

DEEP FRIED FILM FESTIVAL - North Lanarkshire 12th July 2007

Festival information about DFFF

Home

© Jan Nimmo 2005