Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Michael Moore is fearless. If I was pissing people off with the same power and resources as he is right this moment, then I’d be worried sick about what might happen. Not him, though.
Check this out. Nobody wrote this. Nobody said anything.
Hi Harry,
I loved BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and couldn't not take up the invitation to attend a closed satellite interview with Michael Moore in Cannes whereupon he would pitch his new documentary Farenheit 911.
Sales agent Wild Bunch - whom I love for their courageous choices (exemplified by a lineup which includes Vincent Gallo's THE BROWN BUNNY alongside Lou Ye's PURPLE BUTTERFLY and TINY TIPTOES) invited a small selection of international buyers to interact with Moore about the project. He couldn't make it to Cannes due to a school function for his daughter, but we were invited and seated in the Majestic Friday at 4pm to hear the scoop.
Prior to the event I was told in confidence that Mel Gibson's Icon Productions had to drop the project due to the White House calling Mel. Icon had announced the project and as it obviously is at odds with Mel's politics, Max got Mad and the rights became available again. Enter Wild Bunch. Miramax are rumoured to have the US but even that seems publicly unconfirmed as of today.
Waiting in the Majestic Hotel with 25 other distributors for Michael Moore's NYC cab to drop him off (at one point a host said off mike that a Miramax rep was waiting for him in the lobby so that seemed to indicate they were somehow involved in the project) a quiet descended across the room. An A4 sheet about the project was passed around which gave the overview and summed up COLUMBINE and STUPID WHITE MEN book sales. Then he arrived on screen and via the Cannes based host started talking about the next doco.
Its about the Bush family, their extensive connection with the Bin Laden family and the environment within the USA post Sept 11. He has footage of the Bush family dining with the Bin Laden family. It elaborates on the business relationship between the families that has existed for many years. It explores how a Saudi charter plane travelled the US immediately after Sept 11 and how the FBI were pissed that they couldn't interrogate its Bin Laden passengers as they were ferried to Paris. It looks at the way in which the government used the events of Sept 11 to push their own agendas.
Moore expalined that since COLUMBINE and its appearance at the Oscars he receives 6,000 pieces of fan mail a day and gets given pieces of footage that he can't talk about now but will make this perhaps the most incendiary documentary of all time. In his words 'If I don't make this, I may as well stick my head in the sand like everybody else."
During question time one audience member questioned his ability to finish the film, to which his answer was "Any attempt to stop it will just create more interest." He also said he would explore the reasons as to why Blair put his arse on the line to support Bush and make a film that is funnier and more shocking than COLUMBINE.
Thus began the distributor buying frenzy. FARENHEIT 9-11: THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH TRUTH BURNS will be ready for Cannes next year and release Sept in North America (prior to the elections I'm told). Prior to the briefing all were screened and told not to release to media. As I consider you a geek and not media I feel at ease.
Cheers,
Nobody
Wow. Cool report, man. Thanks.
"Moriarty" out.
