2005 Film Index Back to Main Site		Back McLibel Documentary UK / 85 minutes Produced and Directed by Franny Armstrong Drama Director: Ken Loach Editors: Gregers Sall, David Hill McLibel is the story of two ordinary people who humiliated McDonald’s in the biggest corporate PR disaster in history. Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, McDonald’s consistently used British libel laws to suppress any criticism of its business practices. Hundreds of major media organizations like the BBC and The Guardian crumbled and apologized. But then McDonald’s sued gardener Helen Steel and postman Dave Morris and the two refused to apologize for the leaflet they authored. In the longest trial in English legal history, the “McLibel Two” represented themselves against McDonald’s £10 million legal team. Every aspect of the corporation’s business was cross-examined: from junk food and McJobs, to animal cruelty, environmental damage and advertising to children. McDonald’s tried every trick in the book against them. Legal maneuvers. A visit from Ronald McDonald. Top executives flying to London for secret settlement negotiations. Even spies. Seven years later, in February 2005, the marathon legal battle finally concluded at the European Court of Human Rights. And the result took everyone by surprise – especially the British Government. McLibel is not just about hamburgers. It is about the importance of freedom of speech now that multinational corporations are more powerful than countries. Filmed over ten years by no-budget Director Franny Armstrong, McLibel is the David and Goliath story of two people who refused to say sorry and in doing so, changed the world. www.spannerfilms.net