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.
" Who would know that Moore had footage outside the dead guy, the dead guy's family and Moore?"
Hopefully,our intelligence aparatus would know that.
LOL...LOL :-)
Ok, IF Nick Berg was in Iraq as one of Moore's spies, what are the odds that he just happened to be the guy picked up by the Al Qaeda nutcases? Is Michael Moore sick enough to have actually been pursuing an interview with Al Qaeda, using Nick Berg? Or is this even more twisted than that? I know I have a headache from it already.
Yes, it may be as simple as a father on a known list getting contacted by a propagandist to foment a known and obvious subject.
The problem is that Moore didn't include NB in the final product. And now that final product doesn't include him.
Obvious in its exclusion and obvious in its final product as a hit piece. Moore is riding high on his Canne coup and now he's got to deal with this. I guarantee he wouldn't have spilled this. It doesn't advance the film or his ideology.
This smells like CYA but the Salon angle doesn't make sense. Something got out and it isn't going to go away. This isn't some contrived marketing angle, this is real life.
I suspect someone on Moore's team made the connections and decided to get out. What I don't get is why this "someone" would go to Salon.
But, it may be as simple as "someone" trying to ride the headlines. And that would be poison for this project. Unless Moore and his gang really are the bunch of ghouls they may be.
It either exists or it doesn't...either way,Michael Moore is in deep doo doo.
IIRC, most media reports were saying that the head was found next to the body on the Baghdad overpass.
Yes, he is.
Good question! And if true, how would Berg have gone about getting in touch with Al queda??
Yes, but how simple is it for Moore to destroy that footage?
Maybe that's why Moore was the one who said that Disney wouldn't release it....maybe it really IS too hot to handle. Maybe it will NEVER be released.
Hs anyone seen this movie outside of Cannes "judges"?
Maybe they didn't go to Salon.
Salon is full of wacky lefties...Moore hires wacky lefties...wacky lefties talk over beer...Woila!! Story.
VERY! But that is tampering with evidence and since Nick Berg WAS murdered,that film IS evidence of sorts.
It was shown at a theater in Cannes and plenty of reporters/critics saw it.
That's GREAT! LOL
BADDAAAAAA BING!!!!!!
How did (damn!!! can't remember that journalist's name) get in touch wth his murderers? Just start asking around.
No, I don't see how one just goes in and out of Iraq, not to mention getting through the other "friendly" countries to get there-twice.
What does Berg's dad do for a living? Do I recall correctly it some kind of communications, like his son? Perhaps he and Moore had a working or political relationship. Moore came out of the Midwest, didn't he?
This reminds me of the old days on FR...up all night trying to find a way to give Bubba his just deserts!! This late at night all I can do is ask questions!
I saw it in one of the other Moore threads earlier today. I crack up every time I see it. It's about the only thing associated with Moore that's actually pleasant to look at. :)
Were there soldiers in the movie talking AGANST the CIC Bush??? If so, they can be court-martialed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.