Directed by Phyllis Ellis

Documentary/Canada/ 88 mins

Strand: A Dirty World

International Premiere

Screening: Saturday 21st September 18:15 | Monday 23rd September 15:45

Review:

Johnson & Johnson was for decades one of the most trusted brands in the United States - and beyond. Their image was carefully moulded; their baby powder almost synonymous with a certain kind of motherhood. Where the long-beleaguered tobacco industry has always had an implied danger or edge (since long before tobacco manufacturers would acknowledge either), cosmetics have always maintained a benign positivity in the public eye, talcum powder likely the most innocuous product of all.

Phyllis Ellis’s blistering documentary puts a stop to any such misconceptions. Coming off the back of major lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson (which alleged that the talc in talcum powder causes both ovarian and breast cancer) TOXIC BEAUTY lifts the lid on decades of shady practice, immoral dealings, and fatal shortcuts. Reinforced by a wealth of data and expert contributions, the film explores both the psychology and reality of the cosmetics industry, critiquing both invidious business practices and the incompetent legal blockades to regulation. More than powerful, TOXIC BEAUTY is necessary. /Reviewed by Milo Garner

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Credits:

Director: Phyllis Ellis

Producer: Barri Cohen, Stephen Paniccia

Executive Producers: Peter Raymont, Steve Ord, Cheryl Staurulakis, Leo Staurulakis