Film Journal review: Pink Ribbons, Inc.

When every month has its own disease, and each satin ribbon pinned to your chest is in a different color, it’s an eye-opener by a splash of cold water to see this documentary questioning the uses of philanthropy for the fight against breast cancer.

King_pink coverThere’s so much scary stuff in Pink Ribbons, Inc., the Canadian documentary by Léa Pool exposing the corporate connection to the cause célèbre of breast cancer, that it’s hard to decide which is most upsetting: It’s still one in eight women who get breast cancer (one in 22 in the 1940s), and only five to 15 percent of research goes to finding the root cause. Corporations like Avon and Revlon bond and brand with breast cancer awareness, but use potentially cancer-causing chemicals in their cosmetics. Don’t even mention the drug companies; while supporting mammograms and early detection, they also profitably produce the drugs to treat the disease. Some even use chemicals in other products which may cause it (for instance, Eli Lilly—the movie includes a campy set-piece about synthetic bovine growth hormone and milkingcancer.org).

Read the full review.

Published in: Film Journal
By: Marsha McCreadie