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.
The guy reading the note was doing so in Arabic? Did Nick know what he was saying? I agree he looked way too calm.
I'm gathering that the FATHER owns the company. Hollinger is an employee. Guess what his options are?
What year?
Funny because I JUST got new glasses, wore them for the first time late last night on this thread AND the rims are rose colored!!!!!! LOL
I read that Nick knew Arabic.
In so far as our culture is capable of creating psychopathic individuals (we are still way behind the Saudis on this one)......
I would think that Nick Berg with tutoring by his father would be both stupid and naive enough to go into the belly of the beast. I would not be at all surprised that he would have encouragement from Moore to keep looking for their holy grail of pacifism at any cost.
I have a very strong suspicion that as of this morning, the film does not exist...
I think "as of yesterday".
This slovenly son of a bitch and his fellow cretins should be prosecuted for espionage....
Lots of web sites out there talking about that jumpsuit and that white chair he was sitting in -- straight from Kmart.
I swear (again) in the last day I have read that somebody has done testing and that they are saying that the prison film and the beheading film were done with the same camera.
I'm going to do some HEAVY re-Googling this afternoon.
Read that also. Need to find out more about the company: When it started, bookkeeping, taxes etc.. This whole thing makes absolutely no sense.
I haven't read anything about an autopsy. Surely they would have done one?
Officially, perhaps, but when you shoot for a movie, you make endless copies. If it was a digital shoot there are probably cached copies on various email servers.
Slowly but surely interesting little odds & ends about this Berg family are seeping out into the light.
...& a picture's beginning to form.
Interesting question. Wonder if the terrorists who beheaded him kept it...
That is very, very puzzling. If he had the footage, you'd think he would have included it if for no other reason than to incite the chattering class.
But, come to think of it, haven't we right here at this site been screaming bloody murder because of the absence of outrage at the Berg beheading?
Oh, you're here; cough up the information about Berg in Oklahoma!
So, logically, the depth and breadth of his acknowledging support are important. Again, this #337 is the first - THE FIRST - source other than the father for such info to have come to light. Need credibility check of the source, and when the reporter (and reportee) got this info from NB.
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You two might be interested in this thread.
Warning: Do not wait until late at night to start reading it. Also, don't read it if you have important tasks on your Honey Do This list. Do the tasks first.
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