Poisoning Paradise

Poisoning Paradise, directed by Keely Shaye Brosnan and Teresa Tico, is a strong and profound 2017 documentary that gives its audience a new and sharp perspective on the world of genetic engineering and its potentially unknown risks to the environment. This intense and engaging film stars John Aana, Paul Achitoff, and Alika Atay, among others, who passionately share their insightful perspectives and initiate a substantive conversation about complex but relevant issues surrounding GMOs, pesticides and their potential environmental and human health impacts.

John Aana, an esteemed environmental activist and Hawaiian native, brings attention to the island’s ancient agricultural history and robust natural resources, juxtaposing it with the current landscape dominated by genetically engineered crops. This sets the tone for the rest of the movie, illustrating the vast difference between traditional farming and the modern practices of multibillion-dollar agrochemical corporations.

Paul Achitoff, an accomplished attorney fighting for the regulation of GMOs and pesticides in Hawaii, reveals the eye-opening legal and ethical complications surrounding this important issue. He sheds light on the techniques employed by these powerful agrochemical companies to dodge liability and resist regulation. He also exposes the health risks faced by the local populace due to exposure to toxic pesticides used in GMO farming.

Alika Atay, a farmer turned politician, takes the audience on an essential journey through the rural Hawaiian agricultural landscape. His fight to protect the Hawaiian natural resources and farming practices uncovers the bitter truth about the damaging impact of GMOs and agrochemical tactics on the island’s land, waters, and people.

Filmed in the beautiful landscape of Hawaii, Poisoning Paradise offers viewers an intimate look at Hawaii’s locals, who double as the documentary's real-life characters, as they wrestle with the wave of corporate intrusion into their land and lives. Hawaii, once an ideal of natural wonder and abundant resources, is represented as a testbed for chemically intensive genetically engineered crops, including corn, soybeans, and canola. This shocking transformation of Hawaiian farmland shines a light on the worldwide, rapidly growing concern over genetic engineering and its potentially hazardous regulatory issues.

The film also explores the stories of Hawaiian families directly affected by exposure to the pesticides used by agrochemical companies. The narrative wisely adds the necessary human dimension to the discussion, evoking empathy and prompting the viewer to understand the real-life implications of unregulated use of potentially hazardous agricultural practices.

Special demonstrations, interviews, and expert testimonies woven through the documentary reveal the pivotal role that Hawaii plays in the testing of genetically engineered crops and pesticides. Such exposure explains why many island locals firmly believe that their paradise is being poisoned. This controversial topic is handled with care, balancing scientific facts with human narratives, creating an engaging and compelling conversation that unquestionably needs a wider audience.

Despite its serious and sometimes heart-wrenching content, Poisoning Paradise also shines as a resilient story of local activism. As the main characters champion the fight for stricter regulations on GMOs and harmful pesticides, the film provides a heartfelt depiction of communities standing against mighty corporate forces for the preservation of their land, health, and future generations.

The documentary provides a necessary commentary on the battle between local agricultural practices and multinational agrochemical giants. It is a close-up look at a worldwide problem represented in a remote Pacific community, an indicator of how the tropic paradise turned into a ground zero for GMO testing.

Poisoning Paradise definitely is not just a documentary, but a cautionary tale against unchecked corporate advancement and a push for better regulation of genetic engineering. Fortified with powerful imagery, heartfelt testimonials, and investigative storytelling, the film is an informational platform that informs and challenges its viewers regarding their perceptions of GMO crops and the agrochemical industry. Perhaps more than anything else, it prompts a pertinent dialogue about the future of our food, emphasizing that these issues go beyond Hawaii and affect us all.