Show T v JIW i wr fr f t ff 3 f t 1 s Documentary or Propaganda A 4 New Film Sparks Controversy Among the Bush Administration Daniel Sessions Contributing Writer Fahrenheit is the temperature at which freedom freedom freedom free free- dom burns said Michael Moore to explain the meaning meaning meaning mean mean- ing of the name he gave his most recent film In light of the raging controversy the film has stoked since before its release it might just as aswell aswell aswell well be said that Fahrenheit is the temperature at which emotions emotions emotions emo emo- boil over Since winning the top prize at the esteemed Cannes Cannes' Film Festival Fahrenheit 9 11 II became the first documentary ever everto everto everto to debut as Hollywoods Hollywood's top weekend film raking in million at the box office in its first three days a record for a documentary The films film's enormous success success success suc suc- cess is due in part to its powerful emotional impact something recognized by several film critics including in ing Roger Ebert Fahrenheit 9 11 has demonstrated a capacity like no other recent film for prodding a response from goers fIm-goers goers film sending some from the theater cursing President Bush the films film's main character while others others others oth oth- oth- oth ers call for the head of Michael Moore we dont don't want this misleading and grotesque movie bein being shown at our local cinema I said SiobHan an Guiney exec exec- director of Move America Forward a right- right wing organization which campaigned unsuccessfully to get the film pulled from theaters Fahrenheit 9 11 is not a documentary its it's a apiece apiece apiece piece of propaganda added Guiney The film was financed by Miramax whose parent company Disney eventual- eventual to release the film because of its highly- highly charged assertions concerning concerning concerning concern concern- ing the responsibility of the Bush Administration for the terrorist attacks of Sept 11 11 Moore turned elsewhere releasing the film through Lions Lion's Gate The controversy surrounding surrounding surrounding sur sur- sur- sur rounding Fahrenheit 9 11 probably came as no surprise surprise surprise sur sur- sur- sur prise to Moore whose earlier earlier earlier ear ear- lier films like Bowling for Columbine and Roger and Me were subject to criticism for factual inaccuracies inaccuracies and presenting material material material mate mate- rial out of context One prominent critic of Fahrenheit 9 11 is Christopher Hitchens maker of several controversial controversial controversial contro contro- documentaries which criticize such public figures as Mother Teresa Henry Kissinger and Bill Clinton Hitchens sharply scolds Moores Moore's film for its failure to meet the standard of objective reporting commonly commonly commonly com com- expected from docu docu- if you leave out absolutely everything that might give your narrative a problem an and throw in any old rubbish that might support support support sup sup- port it and you dont don't even care that one bit of that rubbish rubbish rubbish rub rub- bish flatly contradicts the next bit and you give no chance to those who might differ then you have betrayed your craft wrote Hitchens in a scathing review for Critics such as Hitchens also fault Fahrenheit 9 11 for errors of fact such as the claim Moore makes as narrator that the nation of Iraq has never even threatened threatened threat threat- ene ened to harm hann an American civilian On July 25 1990 eight days before Iraq invaded Kuwait Hussein spoke to US U.S. Ambassador to Baghdad April Glaspie in ina a candid interview The subject of Hussein's threats against Kuwait came up and Hussein offered a warning to the United States If you use pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure we will deploy pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure and force We cannot come all the way to you in inthe inthe in inthe the United States but individual individual individual indi indi- vidual Arabs may reach bA fj l ff I 4 I Ir r r Wi cw D Michael loore l Moore right and Abdul Henderson on Capitol Hill attempting to convince con congressmen congressmen congressmen gressmen to send their sons to Iraq you Moore has defended his film on several television venues Hannah Storm of CBS asked Moore in a atense atense atense tense interview whether Fahrenheit 9 11 should be considered propaganda because of numerous charges that the film presents presents presents pre pre- a hi highly sided one-sided picture of tie the facts No Moore replied I consider the CBS Evening News propaganda Janda Why dont don't we tark talk about the news newson newson newson on this and the other networks that didn't do dothe dothe dothe the job they should have done at the beginning of this war demanded the evidence asked the hard questions Moore explained his films film's purpose in an interview with ABC News trying to present another side of the story Why dont don't you think that's a good goodo 8 o idea to have a filmmaker oa er out there presenting a at t point of view and a side of the story that really 3 wasn't well represented o S o In in our mainstream media a Fahrenheit 9 11 has o 8 J at the very least served 9 o o to stir up a lively debate among voters looking forward to November elections We need to seriously examine this as Americans why we back brutal dictators dictators dictators dicta dicta- tors like we did with Hussein why we fund terrorists like we did with Osama bin Laden said Moore to ABC News New These are legitimate questIOns questions questions ques ques- to ask |