A Paraguay film night to remember: El Impenetrable

Charlotte Chan

17 July 2013

This Thursday will be my film night to remember. I'm going to see El Impenetrable.

Not to undermine classics like the sing-along Mulan, El Impenetrable will top all fim nights for me. This is because it speaks of a real issue that my team at Friends of the Earth is campaigning on - land grabbing.

"Land grabbing" might sound like an odd term. But when you use it about Paraguay it describes how powerful GM soy businesses are taking over land that indigenous people own - poisoning their homeland and causing them to flee to the city. Then the companies deforest the land to grow soy, turning it into an expanse of emptiness.

The film follows one man's quest to establish a national park with land left to him by his father. It's a real insight into the struggle for land and resources and the threats posed by GM soybean growers.

This film night is particularly exciting for me because it's given me the chance to work with people outside Friends of the Earth - and an insight into the world of film and media. After successful chats with independent cinema RichMix and distributor DocHouse, I bounced around at the prospect of our film night becoming a reality.

And it's given our Paraguay campaign a brand new platform to reach a whole new audience. 

Book now

Please join us this Thursday 18 July at RichMix, London at 19.45 for a film night to remember.

We'll be joined by campaigner Elias Diaz Pena from Friends of the Earth Paraguay for a Q&A after the film.

If you'd like to help the Luz Bella community of Paraguay stand up to GM soy businesses, please take our action and ask the British and Paraguayan authorities to stop illegal land grabbing. Thank you.

Charlotte Chan, Fair Transition team