Posted on 05/27/2004 9:26:51 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
May 27, 2004 | Filmmaker Michael Moore filmed an interview with American Nicholas Berg in the course of producing his documentary film "Fahrenheit 9/11" before Berg left for Iraq, where he was taken hostage and killed, Moore confirmed to Salon in a statement Thursday. The 20 minutes of footage does not appear in the final version of "Fahrenheit 911," according to the statement.
Word of the footage reached Salon through a source unaffiliated with Moore or his film "Fahrenheit 9/11," which is reported to feature stark images of U.S. civilians and soldiers grappling with conditions in war-torn Iraq, as well as examining the relationship between President George W. Bush and the bin Laden family. It received the Palme d'Or, the Cannes Film Festival's highest honor, on Saturday.
In a statement widely circulated by Moore's people after an initial request for comment by Salon, Moore said, "We have an interview with Nick Berg. It was approximately 20 minutes long. We are not releasing it to the media. It is not in the film. We are dealing privately with the family." Moore's camp declined to comment further on any aspect of the interview. Because the footage is not in the film, a spokeswoman for Miramax Films, the production company behind "Fahrenheit 9/11," said the company had no comment.
It was not clear from Moore's statement whether footage from the interview with Berg had ever been included in early cuts of "Fahrenheit 9/11." Reports about a film industry controversy surrounding distribution of the film first hit the news on May 5, a week before Berg's death. The film officially screened for the public and the press for the first time during the Cannes festival on May 17.
The news that Moore spoke to Berg while he was still in the United States only adds to the mystery surrounding the young man's presence in Iraq and tragic death. The interview was shot before the 26-year-old Berg left for Iraq late last year as a private contractor in the hopes of helping to rebuild the ravaged country. Though it was unclear what Berg spoke about in his interview with Moore, or how the two men met, unrelated reports following his death indicate that he headed for the Middle East with plans to work to improve the country's technological infrastructure and communication abilities. He ran his own company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, in a suburb of Philadelphia.
Berg did not find employment in Iraq, and when he attempted to return to the United States he was detained by Iraqi police and questioned by American forces. He was released after his family complained. But shortly after, he is believed to have been kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. Video of his beheading was released on an Islamist Web site on May 11. Salon was unable to reach the Berg family for comment before publication.
Moore's film chronicles the United States' military, political and business involvement in the Middle East in the years before and after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His previous politically charged films, including "Roger & Me" and "Bowling for Columbine," have created controversy and won him praise (including an Oscar, for "Columbine"). "Fahrenheit 9/11" has already sparked a media storm; in early May, Miramax's parent company, Disney, announced that it would not allow Miramax to distribute the film, which is highly critical of Bush and his administration.
Miramax has yet to make a deal with a distributor, though the film's warm reception at Cannes and the publicity surrounding the film have made it a hot property that is generating a lot of interest in Hollywood. "Bowling for Columbine" grossed $21 million, making it the highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary of all time.
A source close to "Fahrenheit 9/11" said that a new distributor will be announced shortly, and that the film is expected to be released in theaters during the first week of July, as originally planned.
Lots of interesting facts, FL_engineer!
Can you tell me what link that professor's name is on? Something weird is going on here.
Please keep me on your ping list....your posts are excellent..
Is it possible that "Infante sold NO photos March 22, 23, 24, or 25th" because he was going to take the photos from Berg..and after he got them, he sold them on the " 26th, 29th, 30th, and 31st" etc? Or did I misinterpret that?
3rd Rebuilding Iraq Conference
February 25-26, 2004
Arlington,VA
New Fields Exhibitions
Contact Person: Linda Tripp
Phone: 202-496-4976
Website: http://www.new-fields.com
Presents an opportunity for all companies to share ideas and develop strategies to ensure share in this market. Participation will provide essential insight into opportunities, subcontract opportunities, and team-up secenarios.
Emphasis mine. I guess she's got to work somewhere.
Sure thing--it's from one of Trinity's posts--
From the OU daily News
Professors remember Nick Berg
His OU instructors recall him as a unique and intelligent person.
Cole Bridges - Daily Staff Writer
May 19, 2004
Nick Berg, former Lloyd Noble Center employee and OU student during 1999-2000, has received intellectual praise from his former professors.
While at OU, Berg worked toward developing a "paper brick," said William McManus, associate professor of construction science. McManus said Berg had various interests and began developing the paper brick during undergraduate independent study.
The paper brick was compressed paper in the form of a brick and was intended for use as a building material, said Richard Ryan, associate professor of construction science. Berg took a survey class under Ryan, but Ryan said he knew little about Berg other than his classroom performance.
Ryan said Berg's desires to help others were likely what led to Berg's paper-brick project. "[Berg] was really interested in third-world countries and taking this kind of effort and trying to apply it in places where they didn't have building products," Ryan said. "I really think he did what he was doing with the brick because he had aspirations of helping people. He was a real nice fellow."
John Fagan, electrical and computer engineering professor, said Berg was an excellent man with a creative spirit and referred to Berg's murder as an "awful loss."
Berg was a tremendous human being with lots of promise, Fagan said.
Danny Akins, Berg's former co-worker at Lloyd Noble Center, said Berg was very intelligent. "He was brilliant," Akins said. "He was always coming up with stuff."
Akins said Berg mentioned going to Africa because he thought of an irrigation system that
would bring water long distances. Akins said he never saw any of Berg's inventions but said Berg would show his co-workers sketches of his innovations.
Akins said Berg constantly spoke about traveling the world and worked multiple jobs. "While riding his bike down the street, he would see somebody that needed some help and help them out.and [Berg worked] for a couple of temporary services," Akins said. "He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met."
Berg often lacked a home because of OU housing problems, Akins said.
Berg would sometimes sleep in Lloyd Noble Center, and he had been caught sleeping in Oklahoma Memorial Union by the OU Department of Public Safety, Akins said. Berg was listed for trespassing in the union on April 12, 2000, according to police reports in the April 13, 2000, edition of The Oklahoma Daily.
McManus said despite Berg's short stay at OU, he is remembered by his professors.
"We all remember him because he was a unique guy," he said.
For more information about Berg, visit www.oudaily.com
1,121 posted on 05/28/2004 10:29:43 PM CDT by Trinity_Tx
Absolutely NO problem. I had seen it many times before (and also seethed at the many articles citing the VRWC enemy list). I'm glad you pointed it out, so anyone who hadn't read it takes note.
Nice find Miz! Do you remember the article that discussed how he was arrested 2+times for living in the campus center while he wasn't a student? His friend was quoted as there being housing problems on the campus. That quote has showed up in 2 articles now...and both were used in a different context.
Holy crap! Smaller and smaller world!
We ran a long thread on it before we finally found the Virginia registration for Bergs firm. There is a lot of speculation on the thread... but also some good info that is still relevant. I still have suspicions that Berg's Prometheus could be tied to PRP... but haven't been able to tie them together. Soros connection to PRP is noted in post#1
State has no records of Berg's firm (Nick Berg)
I wish I knew something about this industry, so I could better judge. I will be back after while.
Why do these professors all of a sudden remember Berg? And there was not a housing shortage in Norman at that time -- my son was at OU for 1999-2000 and we kept getting letters wanting him to move in the dorm.
This doesn't make sense!
These professors seem to have intimate knowledge of the guy now but they were all over the media never knowing and didn't recognize his picture? Only people that recognized him were the Lloyd Noble people.
I am going outside to work too after reading this -- total contradicts everything else that has been said by the profs -- why change now?
The OTHER Prometheus has a link to Tides and Soros.
See my post #1323.
Sara is an attorney with what was a small firm in Virginia Beach. It has gone through several mergers over the last couple of years. Her specialty is labor law... another civil rights advocate!
Sara L. Berg
Virginia Beach, VA
Voice (757) 473-5384
FAX (757) 473-0395
sberg@williamsmullen.com
Practice Areas
Labor & Employment
Sara Berg is an associate in the Labor & Employment Section at Williams Mullen. Her practice focuses on labor and employment law, including the representation of management in wrongful termination litigation. Ms. Berg counsels employers in connection with compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and various other federal and state laws.
Education
University of Virginia School of Law, J.D. - 1999
Tufts University, M.A. - 1994
University of Pennsylvania, B.A., magna cum laude - 1993
Professional Affiliations
Virginia Bar Association
Virginia Beach Bar Association
Virginia State Bar
Awards and Honors
Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law, Executive Editor
Publications
Co-author, "The Doctrine of Employment At-Will and Local Government Employees," Journal of Local Government Law, December 2001
The housing shortage quotes make zero sense. We had less students at OU then and only housing that has been built is the Honors College. Two of my daughter's friends had no roommates in four-person suites this past fall.
My son was inundated with letters to move in the dorms. At that time they were recruiting Norman kids to live in the dorms to fill them up.
We had a ton of apartments back then that advertised all year around looking for people to live in an apartment not to mention the OU Daily runs a roommate wanted and so does the Norman Transcript.
My oldest daughter lived in the dorm at the time and she was the only person in a two-person room. In fact, her whole floor -- girls on one end and guys on the other had only one person per room which were meant for two. Cross was basically vacant at the time.
Dang.....the world just keeps gettin' smaller.
I've been looking for several minute and can't find the thread that discusses berg being arrested at OU. Do you remember which one it was?
That makes it even more interesting! And none of it makes sense. I know for a fact that article was posted on FR...am looking for it now. He wasn't a student in 2000..but was arrested for living at the campus center twice. (not in the dorms mind you)
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