Tony’s Chocolonely representative attending
When a 2002 newspaper article casually reported the news of child slavery in the production of cocoa, Dutch journalists Teun van de Keuken, Maurice Dekkers, and Roland Duong decided to try and make a difference. Working diligently, their research revealed that child labor was used in every chocolate product, even those with the Fair Trade logo on it, and that big corporations like Nestlé are eager to sweep such information under the proverbial rug. Frustrated that their efforts weren’t getting more attention, van de Keuken came up with a novel idea: to sue himself, as a consumer of chocolate, for complicity in child slavery. The case really made it to court, and three years later a verdict was passed. Benthe Forrer’s moving, and often humorous, documentary is a captivating look at this little-known issue.
Director’s Biography
Benthe Forrer: Benthe Forrer is an actress and director, who has said of her inspiration for making The Chocolate Case: “Chocolate and tomatoes, I couldn’t live without them… [O]nce I asked the baker if their chocolate was ‘Fair Trade’, the girl said she didn’t know what it meant. So I think we still have a long way to go.” (Huffington Post)