The leech and the earthworm

Summary: Taking its title from a prescient folk tale of natural misinformation, this impressive and imaginatively assembled campaigning documentary explores the murky world of genetic sampling, engineering and ownership and its explicit links to a far from dormant colonialism. Focusing on the economic, ethical and legal issues around exploitation of blood taken from first-nation islanders, the film uses impressionistic image collages, effective scoring, archive footage and creative graphics to trace a centuries-old lineage of abuse and argues for an alternative, interdependent world view based on collaboration and long-held wisdoms. Ambitious, provocative and searching, it's a welcome and timely search for values and worth in the desert of the corporate sprawl.