Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja

 

Story:

Documentarian Billy Corben shines a spotlight on three unusual and interrelated stories about drug trafficking in Florida during the 1970s and 1980s, when marijuana smuggling was big business practiced by everyone from ordinary folks to pirates. Interviews and archival footage examine the practices of the incendiary Ethiopian Coptic Church, the jobless fishermen who grew pot in Everglades City and the enterprising members of the Black Tuna Gang. (NetFlix)

Review:

Billy Corben’s Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja is a bit of an odd film to inspire audiences to attend but the director’s success in previous works should propel you to theaters none-the-less. Admittedly, the title doesn’t help draw people in, but once you get past this blemish, you’ll find as engaging a piece that’s as entertaining as it is informative.

The title Square Grouper draws from the name given to marijuana bales dropped out of airplanes near the South Florida coast in the 1970's and 80's. The film almost acts as a spin off to Cocaine Cowboys, focusing on the marijuana drug trade in the Florida region during this era.  Now, most audiences may groan, fearing this is another stoner plea for the legalization of pot, but don’t worry: Corben doesn’t press a pro or anti marijuana agenda, he just tells three very fascinating and bizarre stories surrounding the drug trade of that time.

And let me tell you, these are some unusual stories.  Whether it’s the conservative pot religious group (Zion Coptic Church) that was eventually busted and disbanded or the smugglers (Black Tuna Gang) who used a bit of creativity to bring in tons of marijuana before eventually being busted or the tiny Everglades fishing community that turned to drug smuggling after laws prevented them from fishing.  Each story is compelling, fresh and original.  Despite each having a major impact on the marijuana drug trade, I’ve found few who know these stories much less heard about them first hand from those involved.

In fact, the greatest flaw in Corben’s film is how each story is compressed into a segment rather than given its own individual film treatment. Corben clearly stumbled upon a gold mine of stories but might have feared three more drug related movies would have type-casted him into the subject matter.  It’s the only explanation I can think of for not developing individual documentaries.

Even if audiences want more, Square Grouper is certainly an impressive documentary. It moves at a great pace with a stylized treatment perfect for the subject matter and only suffers from a few minor technical hiccups.  So ignore the odd name and go see Square Grouper, you’ll leave entertained and informed about some of the odd characters in Florida’s marijuana trafficking history.

Reviewed by Matthew Abshire for Documentary Film Online on February 14, 2012

In Conclusion: