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.
Clearly, if I were a conspiracy theorist, I, too, would like to vote for #4. I would rather have a grand jury investigation and some real muscle put behind this, though, than more tin foil...
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Considering it's Moore - that film was probably from another time and under other circumstances. After all, what's a little fabrication between leftist friends?
This point has bothered me from the begining. NB was supposedly a savvy traveler, an "adventurer". Anyone who travels to the Middle East knows you will not be allowed to enter most muslim countries if you have an Israeli entry/exit stamp in your passport. Israel will accomodate travelers at all entry/exit points by stamping a seperate form rather than placing a permanant stamp in your passport if you ask. ALL savvy travellers/adventurers would know this and would definately ask.
Before the Iraq war only Jordan, Egypt and (I believe) Morocco would permit entry if your passport held an Israeli stamp. For all the others, all the Arab countries in the ME, Gulf, although not arab it includes Iran, some African countries and a few other Muslim countries in Asia you will be denied entry if your passport bears evidence of a trip to Israel. They are very thorough in determining what is "evidence". "evidence" is an Israeli stamp of any kind (entry or exit stamps, or visas for other countries issued in Tel Aviv), plus entry or exit stamps from the Egyptian border at Taba and Rafah, or the Jordanian border at the Sheikh Hussein Bridge, the King Hussein Bridge, or the Wadi Araba crossing.
I know that the "chaos" in Baghdad is exaggerated by the media, but nonetheless, with snipers and nasties about, what kind of sense does it make to climb 48 towers in less than 48 days, making your self a marvelous target up there with no chance of finding any cover if just one nut-case decides to plink an American up on the tower? Roaming around Iraq on your own may or may not be foolhardy, but climbing towers all day? That's a serious moron. This story smells.
You posted the following:
There is something REALLY spooky about Moore NOT REVEALING he had recently filmed an interview with this sudden celebrity.
SOMETHING IS GOING ON HERE.
I daresay it is something nefarious.
My earlier reply about Eisner/Disney pulling the plug on Moore's 9/11 may have some relevance to your question.
Below is my earlier reply on this thread:
To: PhiKapMom; Miss Marple; Howlin; FL_engineer; TexKat; backhoe; piasa; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ...
Eisner/Disney pulled the plub on Moore's new hatchet job film on 4 May.
Disney Forbidding Distribution of Film That Criticizes Bush
By JIM RUTENBERG
Published: May 5, 2004
ASHINGTON, May 4 — The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax division from distributing a new documentary by Michael Moore that harshly criticizes President Bush, executives at both Disney and Miramax said Tuesday.
The film, "Fahrenheit 911," links Mr. Bush and prominent Saudis — including the family of Osama bin Laden — and criticizes Mr. Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
Was Nick Berg a captive at that time? Was Berg still alive?
We heard about Berg being killed on 12 May. I believe that was the date.
3830
After all, if Clinton got by with all those dead bodies surrounding him with no raised eyebrows, why is anyone going to care about this?
Thanks. I'll check it out on my Radio Shack DX receiver.
......almost like it was.... pre-written.
----Nah.
"That's a serious moron"
Raised by morons. Have we read anything that says Daddy and Mommy BEGGED him not to go to Iraq?? I have a 24 yr. old son, and over my DEAD ROTTING BODY would he trot over to Iraq to "look for work"....or to "help the Iraqi's" (btw, which one is it?) on his own. Anymore than I'd let my husband do such a stupid thing! Oh yeah....this story reeks.
There are a whole lot of coincidences on this story that we know about and probably many that we don't know about.
Amazing how fast the Nick Berg memorial website went up afterward. So much info, from so many people, all of whom are such good writers. ......almost like it was.... pre-written. ----Nah.
....then again, Berg was a very good writer, and in his emails very wordy. So unlike the "Action Figure" climb-a-new-tower-in-Iraq-every-day kind of guy he is described as. Somewhat odd. Are the emails in NickBerg.org from real people? Just for spekulaytin"?
It is not beyond imagining that Moore, knowing that Nick Berg's father has been vehemently and publicly denouncing President Bush, cooked up this scheme and appraoced Mike Berg to get some publicity for his film. How convenient that the interview is not going to be available to anyone but the family.
Probably from someone working at/for ABCNNBC BS or PBS.
Please add me to any berg ping list. I can't stop reading about this. I've wrapped my house in tin foil...
Got enough for us all? :-)
Done!
Those you once dubbed "The Fraudsters"?
Or was it "The FraudCasters"?
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