Let's take Nadine, Bill, Sig Hiel, Hawkeye, and Neocon to see this! The popcorn is on me. :)
Anti-Bush Tirade Wins Top Award in Cannes
By Joelle Diderich and Paul Majendie
CANNES, France (Reuters) - U.S. director Michael Moore (news)'s "Fahrenheit 9/11," a savage indictment of President Bush (news - web sites)'s handling of Iraq (news - web sites) and the war on terror, won the top award at the Cannes film festival (news - web sites) Saturday.
"I have this great hope that things are going to change," said Moore after tearing into Bush with his emotion-charged documentary in the run-up to November's presidential election.
The Oscar-winning director, overwhelmed by the standing ovation given to his Palme d'Or best film award, said: "I want to make sure if I do nothing else for this year that those who have died in Iraq have not died in vain."
Moore was the big winner on a night otherwise dominated by Asian films, which took three top prizes to show they are now a major force in world cinema.
Moore's diatribe focuses on how America and the White House reacted to the September 11, 2001, hijacking attacks and traces links between the Bush family and prominent Saudis, including the family of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites).
It then switches to the war in Iraq, with graphic footage of Iraqi wounded and prisoners being abused by American troops.
"Fahrenheit 9/11" had already whipped up an international media storm after the Walt Disney Co barred its Miramax film unit from releasing such a politically polarizing work in a U.S. election year.
Miramax is negotiating to buy back distribution rights from Disney in the hope of releasing the film in the U.S. in July.
Two years ago, the director's anti-gun lobby documentary "Bowling for Columbine" won a special prize at Cannes and went on to gross $120 million worldwide and win him an Oscar.
Thanking the jury headed by cult director Quentin Tarantino (news), Moore said: "You will ensure that the American people will see this movie." Moore's win capped a politically charged festival, with documentaries and films reflecting troubled times and French show-business workers staging demonstrations and sit-ins to protest against cuts in their welfare benefits. |
