- Welcome to Independent Lens.
I'm Pete Schwaba,
host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
Tonight, we bring you a story of two courageous women
who take on the chemical industry
for poisoning the Earth and its people
in the film The People vs. Agent Orange.
Most people associate Agent Orange
with the Vietnam War,
where the U.S. military utilized it
to destroy vegetation and crops
that gave cover to enemy combatants.
It has been called
the most destructive instance of chemical warfare
in modern history.
What you may not know is that
according to one of the women in tonight's film,
Carol Van Strum,
these same dangerous chemicals are still being used
right here in America as pesticides.
Strum is taking the fight against the timber industry
to the Oregon Courts.
The film's other leading lady
representing the people portion of the film's title,
is Vietnamese activist Tr�'n To Nga.
She is suing the American Chemical Industry
in a French Court for the poisonous effects
Agent Orange had on her family and country.
If you think that what these two women are up against
sounds like a David vs. Goliath story,
you're right.
But their struggle goes beyond legal ramifications
as both have faced threats and intimidation.
This is the third collaboration
for co-directors Kate Taverna and Alan Adelson.
In addition to directing multiple documentaries,
Taverna has edited over fifty films,
two of which were Oscar-nominated.
Alan Adelson has always had
an interest in the chemical industry.
He's a former Page One investigative reporter
for The Wall Street Journal
who, in addition to writing articles
about the effects of dangerous chemicals,
has also published articles
on the disappearance of enriched plutonium.
The People vs. Agent Orange starts now
on PBS Wisconsin, your home for independent film.