Herbicide Trials

Herbicide Trials

| 48 min

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In 1983, fifteen Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, landowners went to court to stop the spraying of herbicides by the local subsidiary of a Swedish multinational on forests adjacent to their properties. They found that the testimony of scientists and the support of public opinion, both here and abroad, were not enough to win their case. The film shows their ordeal and the landmark Sydney trial. Concerns raised included potential conflict-of-interest situations where a government must protect citizens' health while supporting certain kinds of industry; the relative value of the political and judicial processes in mediating social problems; and the need for a public forum for debating environmental issues. The film contains outstanding footage from chemical-industry films of the 1950s and recent material about Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange.

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Herbicide Trials, Neal Livingston, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

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Credits
  • director
    Neal Livingston
  • editing
    Neal Livingston
  • camera
    Neal Livingston
  • producer
    Kent Martin
  • executive producer
    Barry Cowling
  • sound editing
    Sean Whalen
  • music
    Leon Dubinsky
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