The Constant Gardener

Courageous film exposes pharmaceuticals

by Junius

The Constant Gardener is a very fine film, as a film. I would want to go further and call it a very courageous film as a political act. It points a finger at the behaviour of powerful multinational pharmaceutical companies in Africa, saying that there are billions to be made and that the vested interests are willing to snuff out the lives of Africans used for trial tests and to assassinate potential whistleblowers. One wonders how the film got made at all, because it even exposes the collusion of governments and business cartels, not only rogue African governments but Whitehall itself. It was financed by UK lottery money—a fund big enough and independent enough to thumb its nose at the Foreign Office, it seems.

Or maybe it was allowed to be made because it’s been proven over and over again that exposing the lies of the powerful in films does not mean much, nor does it really affect anything. And the powerful know it and therefore don’t care. Fahrenheit 9/11 had great box-office success but flopped at the November election it was supposed to win. Somehow those in power seem to have it all sewn up. The biggest lie of all is the lie of the culture industry that books and films can have an influence.

But surely, perhaps by small increments, books and films will effect change? Ok, you see the movie, you see the degree of corruption in pharmaceutical companies and the collusion of suave government departments, and you want to do something. Well, you say, what can I do? That’s it: What can you do? The Constant Gardener in the end proposes no active solution. There aren’t even any booths in the cinema foyer with literature or a petition to sign.

A couple of things come to mind, a couple of personal moves to make. Stay away from pharmaceutical prescriptions. There are natural products that accomplish the same purposes in a healthier way. If you haven’t found out already, there’s always the great Dr Julian Whitaker and his Health and Healing, toll-free in Canada 1-800-211-7657. Or at least take 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C a day! You won’t break the pharmaceuticals by taking Vitamin C, but at least you are not putting money in their coffers.

The doctors in Africa who are not corrupt include the members of Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins San Frontieres, found at msf.ca. They need your support.

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