[BLOOD TRAIL] Author says film on blood is stolen

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE | December 27, 2003 | TRACI SHURLEY

[Wallaby]

Author says film on blood is stolen PB writer claims worker took idea BY TRACI SHURLEY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Saturday, December 27, 2003 The author of a novel about tainted blood being transported from Arkansas to Canada is suing a former employee he claims stole a documentary about the events that inspired the book. Michael Galster of Pine Bluff filed a complaint in U.S. District Court this week against Kelly Duda of Little Rock. Galster wants a judge to stop Duda from showing the documentary Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal next month at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Galster, who operates an orthopedic clinic in Pine Bluff, does not have a registered copyright on the documentary. He claims, however, that federal law protects him as the author from "any intentional distortion, mutilation or modification" of his work. "This film is the plaintiff’s sole cinematic production," the lawsuit says, "and it must be presented as the plaintiff intended." In the late 1970s and early 1980s, more than 1,000 people in Canada were infected with HIV through the country’s blood supply, and more than 10,000 were infected with Hepatitis C. Some of those infected claim that tainted blood came from inmates at the Cummins Unit near Grady. Officials had attempted to recall some of the blood product made with inmates’ plasma in 1983, after discovering that ineligible donors had taken part in the Cummins program. In 1997, a Canadian commission studying what is called the "tainted blood tragedy" described in its final report how blood made its way from Arkansas to Canada in the late 1970s and early 1980s through a Montreal-based company called Continental Pharma and a Toronto company called Connaught Laboratories.

According to a report earlier this month by the Canadian broadcasting group, CTV, Inc., Factor 8 claims that the blood center continued shipping inmate blood to Canada after 1983. The Arkansas Department of Correction’s Cummins Unit operated the state’s only prison plasma program from the mid-1960s until 1989. Hundreds of inmates sold plasma each week and were paid as much as $7 per donation. Duda’s Little Rock telephone number is unlisted. He did not return an e-mail requesting comment. Galster’s court filing says he began working on the documentary in 1998 after finishing his book, Blood Trail. Galster says in an affidavit that he hired Duda to help him. But, after years of working on the project together, Galster claims Duda has "stolen my project... and corrupted its content," the lawsuit claims. Factor 8 is included in a list of documentaries set to compete in the Slamdance Film Festival. A recent news release from festival organizers describes the film as an 85-minute documentary directed by Duda that "investigates the sale of tainted blood from infected prisoners to Canada, Europe and Japan, thus spreading AIDS and Hepatitis C." Galster is not mentioned. The Slamdance Film Festival is a competition for emerging filmmakers that coincides with the Sundance Film Festival. The Arkansas Department of Correction’s Cummins Unit operated the state’s only prison plasma program from the mid-1960s until 1989. Hundreds of inmates sold plasma each week and were paid as much as $7 per donation.

[Tymesup]

Thanks for keeping up on this.

My brother contracted Hep C in the mid 80's. While it's unlikely it was Arkansas prison blood that caused it, this story will always be important to me.

[Prince Charles]

The other two would be "Diamond" Jim McDougal, and the late and lamented Ron Brown.

[Lady In Blue]

I feel very reassured now that justice will be done,and I might add,it's about time! Sure would be great if it was televised. I wonder if C-Span would cover it?

[thinden]

..."a full scale investigation in progress in Montreal. I can send you the links if you'd like to read it."

thanx for the offer.

prolly wouldn't hurt to post the links on this thread? more people could check it out?

[BigM]

good idea!

Here's a useful link to those new and old bloodhounds to get a refresher

http://ca.fullcoverage.yahoo.com/fc/Canada/Tainted_Blood_Scandal/

[T'wit]

>> Do you know what this article is about? Did this Duda person steal the author's picture?

I don't think I can give you a legal answer, but I certainly have an opinion, which is: Duda is out of line.

Evidently Kelly's video doesn't even mention Mike Galster, and that is bizarre. Mike did more than anyone to break the whole tainted blood story. It was Mike who came across the infected plasma donors while he worked in Cummins Prison Farm. It was Mike who put two and two together when the Mounties traced the contaminated blood to Arkansas. It was Mike who accepted the risk of being the whistleblower by writing his fictionalized version of the true story. It was Mike who gave the interviews and who did the whole press conference at the National Press Club in D.C. with the press from both Canada and the U.S. in attendance.

And, of course, it was Mike who hired Kelly to do a documentary video. In my hearing, it was always Mike's story, not Kelly's. Kelly of course had a big role in the filming and research. But even there, it wasn't exclusively his own film work. Others contributed and edited and researched. To my mind, there is no question that this was Mike's project, paid for by Mike, and that the finished video did NOT belong to Kelly Duda.

Kelly obviously doesn't see it that way and at some point, long before the video editing was finished, he broke off relations with Galster and others associated with the whole venture. I think he yearns to be a film director and he sees this video as his entry. He used to talk freely about his ambitions in that direction.

Such is my opinion, anyway. Naturally, if others have information or views about this, I'll be interested to hear them.

[T'wit]

For the record, Vince Foster had a direct role in the tainted blood story.

[T'wit]

Bumps, BigM

[Wallaby]

Thanks, T'wit, for giving an insider's account of this story.

In the old days, Kelly did a good bit of lurking around FR to see what we posted on the blood threads. I'd be interested in his take on the situation. If indeed Mike Galster is not even mentioned in the documentary, that is very odd indeed.

Trivia Question: who suggested the title "Factor 8" to Kelly Duda?

[T'wit]

>> Trivia Question: who suggested the title "Factor 8" to Kelly Duda?

Did you? Otherwise I'll guess BigM :-)

Trivia question: what key player in the story was Mike Galster's Little League coach?

[T'wit]

> Kelly did a good bit of lurking around FR to see what we posted on the blood threads. I'd be interested in his take on the situation

Me too. It's not that I wish him ill or anything. But this was a team effort and the team needed that video. We were coming up dry trying to get national publicity without it.

Last I heard, the video was supposed to be done three years ago, and it was way past deadline then. Comrade X (a person you met in D.C.) and I used to discuss it, and wonder when it would ever be finished. I think our consensus was... we'd believe it ir and when we saw it. So, Kelly surprised us -- me, anyway -- even if it did take all that extra time.

[T'wit]

"if and when"

[pinz-n-needlez]

mark

[Wallaby]

Your first guess was right.

To your second question: I know you told me this once, but I've forgotten. My first guess: "Bud" Henderson.

[T'wit]

Yup, it was Bud.

New Year's toast to the Bloodhounds: May we yet solve this case, gain worldwide attention, throw all the perps in Cummins, and go out for pizza.

[The Westerner]

Talk about the cutthroat world of the movies! I remember the story just the way you describe--that there was one guy who started it all in Ark, then went up to Canada, etc.

[BigM]

Yup, Factor 8 was one title that I suggested, among others. It's too bad it's come to this but it may have a silver lining. Galster and Duda's legal battle could focus the attention back on the story.

bump!

[Tymesup]

"For the record, Vince Foster had a direct role in the tainted blood story."

There's been speculation that this story is connected to Foster's death. Gerry Parks said that he was a dead man, when he heard about Foster's death.

Was Gerry Parks involved in this story?

[T'wit]

"Movies" -- not yet, but Mike Galster believes Blood Trail would be a dandy flick, and so do I. He has rights for that.

Kelly Duda made a documentary video about the case, which includes interviews with some of the principals and victims, and I suppose background coverage. I have not seen it. This is the disputed video.

We do not know whether Jerry Parks was involved. Possible, but offhand, I don't see the connection. Foster's role is indisputable -- for one thing, he had a face-to-face confrontation with Galster. (It was about a different matter but confirmed the connection between Foster, then-Governor Clinton and the health services company that ran the blood scam with Clinton's active connivance and protection.)

Just what Foster did in the tainted blood scheme (I think he was the bag man) and whether this was the issue that caused his demise are more speculative. But the case is intriguing and strong.

[T'wit]

See #59, which addressed a question you raised.