Tomorrow, watch "Sugar Babies" highly critical of Fanjul farming interests in the Domincan Republic: the film that was banned in Miami! by gimleteye

They banned the film from the Miami International Film Festival and, oddly, the showing of "Sugar Babies" tomorrow night at the University of Miami is not even listed on the Bill Cosford Film Center website. It could be the result of UM officials fearing the influence of Fanjul family sugar interests: Alfie Fanjul is a trustee of the University of Miami.

The Fanjuls, whose sugar farms in the Dominican Republic are featured in the film, project their influence through profits generated by US Farm Bill provisions that make sugar production in the US among the most profitable agricultural enterprises in the world. They are now, for example, at the center of the effort to propel the "true" conservative Marco Rubio over Gov. Charlie Crist in the primary battle for Republican candidate for the US Senate in Florida. Why would the Fanjuls be against Crist? Because he initiated a bold plan to convert vast sections of land owned by US Sugar-- a Fanjul competitor, sort of-- into lands required for Everglades restoration.

You can show your support for freedom of speech by attending the screening of "Sugar Babies" on Thursday, November 12 at the University of Miami Bill Cosford Film Center at 7:00PM. Eyeonmiami noted the withdrawal of the film, at the last minute, from the 2008 Miami International Film Festival by festival organizers. Subsequently, the festival producer resigned. It is a tale the mainstream press has failed to pick up, despite the fact that in 2009, the practices highlighted in the film were officially condemned by US policy: "In September 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor included sugarcane from the Dominican Republic on its list of products believed to be made from forced child labor. The announcement came after numerous screenings of The Sugar Babies before members of Congress and representatives from the departments of Labor, State, and Justice as well as the Office for Human Trafficking."

Here is the Human Rights Foundation press release: click 'read more' (You can also type "Sugar Babies" in the search field of this blog for additional commentary.)


HRF’s The Sugar Babies at the University of Miami

MIAMI (November 6, 2009) – The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Miami will screen The Sugar Babies on Thursday, November 12, as part of its Latin American Film Series. The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmaker Amy Serrano. On November 13, Serrano will also lead a round table discussion about the film and the current situation of Haitian laborers in the Dominican Republic.

The Sugar Babies: The Plight of the Children of Agricultural Workers in the Sugar Industry of the Dominican Republic is an award-winning, feature-length documentary that explores the human costs of sugar production in the Caribbean island. With gripping field testimonies and hidden camera footage obtained during 18 months of documentation, the film also features interviews with Ambassador of Haiti to the United States Raymond Joseph, then-U.S. Department of State Ambassador John Miller from the Office of Human Trafficking, and a number of other experts and activists.

The film has received much critical acclaim and, in 2008, a segment of the Spanish-language show “Maria Elvira Live” featuring The Sugar Babies won an Emmy award. The show included a discussion of the documentary and its impact with Serrano, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission Armando Valladares, and Human Rights Foundation President Thor Halvorssen.

In September 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor included sugarcane from the Dominican Republic on its list of products believed to be made from forced child labor. The announcement came after numerous screenings of The Sugar Babies before members of Congress and representatives from the departments of Labor, State, and Justice as well as the Office for Human Trafficking.

The film has stirred controversy and exposed the inhumane practices of the Dominican sugarcane industry to such an extent that the Fanjul and Vicini families – owners of the largest sugar companies in the Dominican Republic, including the Domino Sugar brand – have tried to silence Serrano and others connected to the film. Their attempts have included removing the film from festivals, a bribery scandal involving a Dominican diplomat in Miami, and a series of other intimidation tactics that forced Serrano to relocate from her home in Florida to Louisiana. The 99-minute documentary is in Spanish, Creole, French and English. The Sugar Babies was produced through Siren Studios in association with the Hope, Courage, and Justice Project and the Human Rights Foundation.

HRF is an international nonpartisan organization devoted to defending human rights in the Americas. It centers its work on the twin concepts of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny. These ideals include the belief that all human beings have the rights to speak freely, to associate with those of like mind, and to leave and enter their countries. Individuals in a free society must be accorded equal treatment and due process under law, and must have the opportunity to participate in the governments of their countries; HRF’s ideals likewise find expression in the conviction that all human beings have the right to be free from arbitrary detainment or exile and from interference and coercion in matters of conscience. HRF does not support nor condone violence. HRF’s International Council includes former prisoners of conscience Vladimir Bukovsky, Palden Gyatso, Ramón J. Velásquez, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu.

Contact:
Thor Halvorssen, Human Rights Foundation, (212) 246.8486, info@thehrf.org

For more information regarding the upcoming film screening at the University of Miami please click here. to acquire film or learn more about it, visit www.sugarbabiesfilm.com