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The Coca-Cola Case (Short Version)

2009 52 min
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For decades, Colombia has ranked first among countries in the number of social leaders assassinated. From 2002 to 2009, more than 470 leaders were killed by paramilitary militias in the pay of companies ready to do anything to crush the unions. Among these unscrupulous corporate brands were bottling plants of Coca-Cola company products. These unpunished crimes spur U.S. activists Dan Kovalik, Terry Collingsworth and Ray Rogers into an ambitious crusade against the soft drink giant, accusing them of turning a blind eye to the misdeeds brought to their attention. By following the relentless efforts of this unshakeable trio, The Coca-Cola …

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The Coca-Cola Case (Short Version)

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For decades, Colombia has ranked first among countries in the number of social leaders assassinated. From 2002 to 2009, more than 470 leaders were killed by paramilitary militias in the pay of companies ready to do anything to crush the unions. Among these unscrupulous corporate brands were bottling plants of Coca-Cola company products.

These unpunished crimes spur U.S. activists Dan Kovalik, Terry Collingsworth and Ray Rogers into an ambitious crusade against the soft drink giant, accusing them of turning a blind eye to the misdeeds brought to their attention. By following the relentless efforts of this unshakeable trio, The Coca-Cola Case takes us on a fascinating legal road-movie, against a backdrop of denunciation campaigns claiming: Stop Killer Coke!

After five years of struggle, will Coca-Cola yield in the end? And on the verge of a settlement, what will the victims choose—cash, or power and integrity?

  • original idea
    Germán Gutiérrez
  • research
    Germán Gutiérrez
  • script
    Carmen Garcia
  • field director
    Germán Gutiérrez
    Carmen Garcia
  • director of photography
    Germán Gutiérrez
  • sound recording
    Germán Gutiérrez
  • picture editing
    Elric Robichon
  • picture editing - collaboration
    Carmen Garcia
  • original music score
    Olivier Alary
  • sound design
    François Senneville
  • dialogue editing
    Stan Sakell
  • sound mix
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • online editing
    Yannick Carrier
  • computer graphics
    Elric Robichon
  • production manager
    Salvadora Garcia
  • coordinator
    Salvadora Garcia
  • accountant
    Salvadora Garcia
  • assistant director
    Ricardo Restrepo
  • additional photography
    Gary Griffin
    Ricardo Restrepo
  • additional sound recording
    Susan Bryant
    Edwin R. Angulo
    René Portillo
  • additional editing
    Howard Goldberg
    Fernando Lopez Escriva
  • additional research
    Salvadora Garcia
  • archives research
    Nancy Marcotte
  • music collaboration
    Johannes Malfatti
  • orchestration
    Johannes Malfatti
  • music recording
    David Bryant
  • music mix
    Olivier Alary
    Johannes Malfatti
  • musician
    Sheila Hannigan
    Jean René
    Stéphane Allard
    Céline Arcand
    François Larouche
    Yannick Chênevert
    René Gosselin
    Olivier Alary
    Johannes Malfatti
    Denis Plante
    Bertil Schulrabe
  • technical coordinator
    Richard Cliche
  • translation
    Robert Gray
  • subtitles
    Robert Gray
  • technical support
    Danielle Raymond
    Isabelle Painchaud
    Martine Forget
    Pierre Dupont
    Amélie Bolduc
  • titles
    Philippe Raymond
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • credits
    Philippe Raymond
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • legal advisor
    Remy Khouzam
  • marketing officer
    Julie Armstrong-Boileau
    Jenny Thibault
  • marketing officer - assistance
    Solen Labrie Trépanier
  • administrator
    Denise DesLauriers
    Manon Provencher
  • production coordinator
    Hélène Regimbal
    Mirabelle Bélanger
  • administrative team
    Dominique Brunet
    Lise Lévesque
  • associate producer
    Maryse Chapdelaine
  • producer
    Carmen Garcia
    Yves Bisaillon
    Johanne Bergeron
  • executive producer
    Carmen Garcia
    Yves Bisaillon

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Education

Ages 11 to 17
School subjects

Coca-Cola is suspected of having used paramilitary elements in Colombia and Guatemala to have labor unionists assassinated. In 2001, U.S. lawyers took legal action. The suit was filed in an American court because an old law in that country allows foreign victims of crimes who have not obtained justice in their own countries to bring proceedings on U.S. soil. This documentary illustrates the power imbalances in this legal struggle, and the strategies used by the multinational. Questions to ask: What are those strategies? Can justice be done? Why did the workers reject the settlement proposed by Coca-Cola in 2008? What is dignity?

The Coca-Cola Case (Short Version)
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