Kimberley resident Kathy Murphy has great concerns about pesticide use, and having seen a showing of the documentary “into the Weeds” by Toronto filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, she realized it was something more people should see.
Murphy contacted the filmmaker about a potential showing, and partnering with Wildsight has arranged for a screening in Kimberley.
“Baichwal’s film was chosen to be the opening film of the Toronto Hot Docs film festival this year and we are proud to be able to bring it to Kimberley,” Murphy said.
According to Murphy, the film investigates the profound affect the pesticide glyphosate is having on individuals personally and on our environment in general. It is a timely, accurate and informative film that provokes much thought and raises awareness on this issue.
Into the Weeds: Dewayne “Lee” Johnson vs. Monsanto Company follows the story of groundskeeper Lee Johnson and his fight for justice against agrichemical giant Monsanto (now Bayer, which bought the company in 2018), the manufacturer of the weed killer, Roundup.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate - the active ingredient in Roundup - as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” A year later, Lee Johnson filed a lawsuit claiming that Ranger Pro, a commercial-grade variant of Roundup, was a substantial contributing factor in causing his Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Johnson’s was the first ‘bellwether’ case in a mass tort against Monsanto involving tens of thousands of plaintiffs. Blending interviews, trial footage, news coverage and vérité, the film follows the progression of this groundbreaking trial, while also telescoping out to understand both ubiquity of use and its global repercussions.
The film will be shown on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at Centre 64 at 7 p.m. Entry is by donation.
carolyn.grant@kimberleybulletin.com
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