Rick Caine Tagged Articles at Cinematical
SXSW Review: Manufacturing Dissent
Filed under: Documentary », Independent », SXSW », Theatrical Reviews », Michael Moore », Cinematical Indie »
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At the Manufacturing Dissent premiere during SXSW, Debbie Melnyck claimed that she and co-director Rick Caine originally intended to film a straightforward biography of activist/filmmaker Michael Moore, whose movies they enjoy. However, circumstances transformed the project into a look not only at Moore but at documentary filmmaking. Manufacturing Dissent discusses the filmmaking tactics used by Moore and also uses some of those same tactics to create an interesting film. In other words, this is a Michael Moore-style documentary about Moore himself. The documentary follows Moore on his 2004 "Slacker Uprising" tour when he attempted to persuade college students and other young voters to participate in that year's Presidential election. During the tour, Melnyck tried to get an interview with Moore, but encountered resistance.
Moore's staff is shown as being uncooperative to Melnyck and her crew -- they're unable to plug into the sound feed at one press conference, and during one of Moore's speeches in Ohio, they are escorted from the building after an altercation with Moore's sister. The film is narrated by Melnyck, who occasionally appears on-camera when asking Moore why he won't consent to an interview, or when she's dealing with Moore's staff. This 2004 footage is interspersed with a biography of Moore's life, focusing on points that differ from the public persona we associate with him. For example, Moore grew up not in Flint, Michigan proper but in Davison, a wealthier area nearby. His short-lived stint as editor of Mother Jones is examined in detail.
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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