Pillowy Star

CANNES, France, May 22 - "Fahrenheit 9/11," a scathing indictment of White House actions after the Sept. 11 attacks created by the American filmmaker Michael Moore, won the top prize on Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival.

It was the first documentary to win Cannes' highest prize, the Palme d'Or, since "The Silent World" by Jacques Cousteau in 1956.

"What have you done?" Mr. Moore said, after receiving a standing ovation.

"I'm completely overwhelmed by this. Merci.''

There was sharp competition for the award, with a solid crop of good movies among the 19 entries in the festival's main competition but no great ones that rose obviously to front-runner status.

While "Fahrenheit 9/11" was well-received by Cannes audiences, many critics considered it inferior to Bowling for Columbine," the documentary that earned Mr. Moore a special prize at Cannes in 2002.

Some critics had speculated that if "Fahrenheit 9/11" won the top prize, it would be more for the film's politics than its cinematic value.

With Mr. Moore's customary blend of humor and horror, "Fahrenheit 9/11" accuses Mr. Bush of stealing the 2000 election, overlooking terrorism warnings before Sept. 11 and fanning fears of more attacks to secure Americans' support for the Iraq war.

Mr. Moore appears on-screen far less in "Fahrenheit 9/11" than in "Bowling for Columbine" or his other documentaries. The film relies largely on interviews, footage of American soldiers and war victims in Iraq, and archival footage of Mr. Bush.

Full story here

Patrick

WOW!

You know what this does, don't you? It's puts MAJOR pressure on the film industry to get this released for distribution here in the states.

Emeline

I went crazy when they announced that ! I was atching the ceremony live, and the awards were given one by one... and nothing for More... And at last, finally, the most important prize, la Palme d'Or... I swear, I was so surprised I applauded in my living room ! (which is ridiculous). The reaction was very overwhelming, from the director himself as well as from the audience (several people in the jury and in the audience were moved to tears because of the importance of the event).

It clearly is a political prize. And I have 2 comments to that.
1°) Before anyone posts here "French festival = French antiamericanism", I precise that the jury was international, and the president (=the decider) was the American director Quentin Tarantino (which is actually a genious, I love his movies).
2°) The award is VERY important because the movie, as More explained tonight, has noone to release it in the US (Disney has decided not to release it because it's too political). The award may help. Movies must have this role of informing the people, especially when TV doesn't do it...

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Why not smile?

MghtyRoach

I don't think anyone here would be thick enough to try to suggest a connection to "French AntiAmericanism" -- at least, I certainly hope not. Despite the fact that I feel that Moore is beyond reproach as a director and that his pictures are an insult to everything that film should be, I'm happy for him, and I hope he does find a distributor here in the states.
As I've said in the past, "inform" is most likely not the right word in his case (and I'm basing this on having seen his previous work, as I have yet to see Fahrenheit 9/11), unless of course a new deffinition has been conjured up of which I don't know...
Anyway, kudos to him.

Pillowy Star

Exactly, and as Mr. Moore pointed out in his acceptance speech, it is highly likely now that it will be brought to a cinema near you

No, I don't think this prize will be regarded as French Anti-Americanism! I sincerely hope all Americans know that us Europeans are not Anti-America.....the vast majority of us is just Anti-Bush.

Snuffy25

I'm a fan of Moore's films and books. I do think he could be much more effective and much more widely accepted if he bothered to listen to other arguments, but both sides of the left/right political game have and need the extreme voices so as not to alienate the people who are a little further from center than most.

Like I said I am a huge fan of his when it comes to being entertained....however I think just about anyone of us could have one a prize by showing anything anti Bush administration in the middle of France.

That's kinda like showing a documentary about the positive effects of the beef industry in the middle of Texas.

Preaching to the choir will always get a good response, but does it accomplish anything?

Or if you want to use the argument that the jurors were international, and not just French, the film indusrty in general would normally get the same response, lets face it, they have never exactly been friends with the GOP side of American
politics.

Plus I don't see where the film industry will feel pressured, Disney won't show it, but there is a buck to be made, so many other distributors will line up to purchase the rights. Hollywood does not need to be pressured when it comes to making a profit.


And please don't take this as me defending anything that takes place in the Bush administration. I for the most part reject anything that has to do with the 2 party left/right political game, it just seems that every little incident lately is being blown way out of proportion as to what it means for the Bush camp, or the Kerry camp.

I mean one documentary that will be seen by probably not even 10 percent of the electorate won't change a thing, just as the fact that John Kerry has sometimes evolved on issues and changed his mind on some things also won't change a thing.

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Jon

Snuffy25

And that is my killing a thread that had some promise trick. I seem to be very good at that.

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Jon

Pillowy Star

Um.......no no, don't worry, I honestly don't think you killed that thread In fact, it was more an informative thread, and discussing that movie will only be able when we have seen it, hope to remember some of your thoughts then

Patrick

Not to worry. If Moore/Miramax manages to get this released, I suspect they will also have it out on DVD by October.. and the Democrats will distribute this film wide and far before the November election.

SlackMF

"Hello, sir/madam. My name is Joe Democrat. It's nice to brainwash meet you. Please take a copy of this movie filled with lies facts about the Bush administration and 9/11. We sincerely hope you will believe every single word think about this film and all the bullshit important topics it brings up. Its director, Michael Moore, is a documented phony liar brilliant director and you owe it to yourself and to the country to accept watch this movie and buy into the propaganda hook, line and sinker discuss it with your gullible friends. Thank you for your naivete time."

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Obamaham Lincoln

Patrick

"propaganda"? You mean like the 'out of context' and incomplete 'facts' in the Bush ads attacking Kerry?

SlackMF

Nah...more like Michael Moore telling us about his "conversation" with Fred Barnes. A conversation that Fred Barnes himself said never happened and was completely made up by Moore.

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Obamaham Lincoln

Patrick

Hey, if that is, in fact, true... I'd rather read/hear fiction from authors/film-makers than from my President who has the authority to make life and death decisions directly effecting America and our troops and the rest of the world.

But, then again, Fred Barnes's accusations only made it as far as a couple right-wing 'news' services (Washington Times, The Weekly Standard, etc). Wonder why? Could it be Michael Moore's recitation of facts, while often biased, have never included "lies".

I seem to think Mr. Barnes has more of a challange to justifiy his own credablity before he goes after Mr. Moore.

SlackMF

Unfortunately, the lie in this case was pushed as fact in Moore's "Stupid White Men".

Face it...Moore is a flat-out liar and he takes snippets of conversation and fuses them together to push his agenda. It's been well documented. There is a certain segment of the population out there that (sadly) believes that what Moore puts on film or in print is "the truth". There is also a segment of the population out there that knows Moore is using these tactics to push a liberal agenda, but as long as the liberal agenda matches their own liberal agenda, they turn a blind eye.

Any other ducumentary filmmaker that used these tactics would be widely criticized. However, what Moore preaches falls in line with liberal ideals...and this is why liberals accept it.

http://www.moorelies.com/

http://www.bowlingfortruth.com/

http://www.moorewatch.com/

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Obamaham Lincoln

Raven Effect

If his films are true, he should just distribute it on the net for free. To get the message of how evil George Bush is.

Oh, I forgot, it's not about the truth is it, it's about getting his bloated hairy face all over the shop and making some cash in the land he seems to detest so much.

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Bloody Greta Garbo!

Pillowy Star

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,...2185895,00.html

U.S. deal found for Moore film


By Greg Hernandez
Staff Writer



Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - Michael Moore's controversial movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" will be released in U.S. theaters June 25 by independent distributors Lions Gate Films and IFC Films, the film companies announced Tuesday.

Miramax Films chiefs Bob and Harvey Weinstein acquired all rights to the movie after The Walt Disney Co., which owns Miramax, said the movie was too politically charged to be released in an election year. The film is said to be critical of President George W. Bush's handling of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and their aftermath.

The Weinstein brothers created a special-purpose company called The Fellowship Adventure Group to arrange for domestic distribution of the movie. They will continue to use the Wild Bunch, a Paris-based sales agent, to negotiate international distribution arrangements, and pay TV rights will be handled by Showtime.

"This is a true coalition," the Weinsteins said in a statement. "The passion that Lions Gate, IFC Films and Showtime have demonstrated reflects our desire to enable Michael Moore's extraordinary work to be viewed by as many filmgoers as possible as soon as possible."

Last month, "9/11" won the Palme d'Or, the highest award of the Cannes film festival. The controversy over Disney's refusal to release the movie has resulted in reams of free publicity for the movie and its high-profile creator Moore.

"I welcome the addition of Lions Gate and IFC to our quest in bringing good family entertainment to the viewing public," Moore said in a statement. "Not only am I in good hands, I am grateful to them now that everyone who wants to see it will now have the chance to do so." greg.hernandez@dailynews.com

Patrick

WooHoo!



LOL I loved that line.... I'm sure it was intentional.... a "coalition" of the willing.

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Patrick

The "trailer" (video advertisement) for the movie is out:

View here
http://www.fahrenheit911.com

Pillowy Star

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040609/325/evjjh.html

BEVERLY HILLS, California (Reuters) - Director Michael Moore's controversial anti-Iraq war film "Fahrenheit 9/11" has won a standing ovation from an audience of film industry professionals attending its West Coast debut at Academy Award headquarters.

After an audience of more than 600 people in the theatre of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences cheered, whistled and laughed their way through the two-hour film on Tuesday night, they jumped to their feet to give Moore a standing ovation as he took the stage.

Clearly buoyed by the reception, Moore, whose film is scathingly critical and mocking of President George W. Bush, declared: "There has been a shift in this country. ... The average American is finally beginning to figure it out. We were duped (into invading Iraq)."

"I hope this country will be back in our hands in a short period of time," he added.

Republicans have denounced the film as unfair.

"Fahrenheit 9/11," with its strong attack on a U.S. president who is highly unpopular in Europe, won the top prize at the recent Cannes Film Festival, but it was refused distribution by the Walt Disney Co., whose Miramax film unit made the movie.

Disney chief Michael Eisner said the company did not want to distribute a highly partisan film in the middle of a presidential election year. He sold the rights to the film back to Miramax heads Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who formed a consortium to distribute the film and have it in theatres on June 25.

The dispute led to a spate of stories of bad blood between the embattled Eisner and the Weinsteins, including a recent one in The New York Times that speculated that Eisner was seeking a buyer for the prestigious Miramax unit.

Weinstein alluded to that controversy when he introduced the film and joked that he and his brother were taking out a classified ad saying: "Two executives looking for company to run. Resumes on request." He added, "If any of you know anything, we will be outside waiting."

Moore won an Academy Award for his 2002 documentary, "Bowling for Columbine," about the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado and the ease with which one can buy a gun in the United States.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Moore predicted "Fahrenheit 9/11" will do three times as well as his Columbine movie, which earned a record amount for a documentary film, $21.5 million.

Moore told Reuters afterward that "Fahrenheit" would open in between 500 and 1,000 theatres on June 25, an amazingly high number for a documentary.

Murmur

I want to see this movie and so do a few of my friends, even mom wants too.

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Patrick

06/13/2004:
"Republicans are behind the effort to censor Fahrenheit 9/11"
http://kurtnimmo.com/archives/00000166.html



ROCK ON!

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Pillowy Star

Now this is a surprise........

Murmur

Mom and I saw the movie tonight. Now she's telling everyone they know that they Must go see it. I'm not a huge fan of Michael Moore, but there is alot of facts in it. Not everything is true of course, but if this movie makes the average person think about what this adminstration has done over the last 4 yrs than that would be a good thing. Anything that helps people to think is a great.

On a side note REM's Shiny Happy People was used in the film. The song was playing as photos of the Bush and the Saudi family were shown.

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Pillowy Star

Hey, thanks a lot for your review. I will definitely go on July 29th (opening date here in Germany), can't wait.

The REM bit is just hilarious I love Moore's sense of humor.