Anti-Michael Moore Doc, 'Manufacturing Dissent,' Premieres At SXSW
Filed under: Documentary, Independent, SXSW, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Cinematical Indie
Whether you like or loathe Michael Moore, you have to admit that the man has done a lot for the shape, scope and reception of documentary film. That being said, you can't say as much for his attention to accuracy, and his films have faced a lot of criticism for the his creative liberties and truth-bending antics. It also seems that Mr. Moore is a bit hypocritical about interviews, and he doesn't like it when filmmakers hunt him down as he hunts others. This past Saturday, SXSW screened the world premiere of Manufacturing Dissent, a documentary on Moore that he didn't give his cinematic consent for.Toronto filmmakers and husband-and-wife team Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine approached Moore a number of times for their documentary, and he pretty much shafted them every time. While the pair are fans of the man, they don't fall short of criticizing him for the doc. One of the film's discoveries is that all of the evasiveness in Roger & Me was a crock -- apparently Moore did talk with Roger Smith, but the footage was cut. All of this came about when the duo realized that their attempts at an interview needed to be taken from a different angle. They began to investigate his filmmaking process, which of course, brought up the questions of his practices. I think Melnyk really describes the man best: "We're a bit disappointed and disillusioned with Michael, but we are still very grateful to him for putting documentaries out there in a major way."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-12-2007 @ 8:10PM
bgdc said...
so where's the problem? He omitted details/footage that didn't fit his theme. That's the way documentaries are made. They're not raw, unedited footage; but manufactured images and themes.
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3-13-2007 @ 10:13AM
peabrain said...
he only tells you what he wants you to beleive. I suppose thats what docs are for, but some other less educated people will take everything he says to heart.
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3-13-2007 @ 2:10PM
HenryJonesJr said...
I disagree with you completely bgdc. I'm willing to bet you wouldn't feel the same way if the documentary, or film-maker in question, were one you didn't agree with. A documentary should not be about "manufactured" images and themes...that's what fictional movies are for. A documentary should provide fact for the audience to interpret, it should not be interpretted for them.
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3-15-2007 @ 6:29PM
Howie said...
I'm not sure if bgdc is serious or not. A man made a movie in which a centeral point is that a man wouldn't talk to him. In fact the man did talk to him. The film was edited to change the truth to support the thesis of the movie and you think that isn't a big deal? In other words the documentatry was a work of fiction masquerading as fact but thats ok? I take it you must have been joking
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3-15-2007 @ 11:28AM
cliphcasey said...
Exposed, the not so fine line between documentry and propaganda.
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3-15-2007 @ 6:59AM
Bill Williams said...
A critically important segment in the new film,Manufacturing Dissent, deals with Michael Moore's beginning on the Phil Donahue show. Check out these eye opening links...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1797962/posts
http://westfallmike.tripod.com/
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