Posted on 05/29/2004 9:13:24 AM PDT by Dane
Posted on Sat, May. 29, 2004
Berg talks of Iraq's business potential on Michael Moore footage
JASON STRAZIUSO
Associated Press
In a 16-minute interview shot for Michael Moore's latest film, slain American Nicholas Berg talks about his travels to Africa and the work he hoped to find as an independent businessman in Iraq, Berg's brother said Saturday.
Moore's crew shot the footage at an Iraqi business conference in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 4, David Berg said. Nicholas Berg's decapitated body was found in Baghdad on May 8, and a video of his killing was posted on an Islamic militant Web site several days later.
Moore on Thursday confirmed he had footage of Berg - shot for the anti-President Bush film "Fahrenheit 9/11" - but said he would share it only with the family. Nicholas Berg's brother and sister praised Moore for that, and said they would also keep the footage private.
David Berg said it was "weird seeing Nick talk," but described the interview footage as dry. He said the first thing he noticed was that his younger brother - who was most comfortable in casual clothes - wore a suit.
"It's one of the few times I've seen him dressed up, and he looked really good," David Berg said.
The interview, which was not conducted by Moore, centered on the technical work Berg hoped to find repairing radio towers on behalf of his company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. Berg, 26 when he died, also talks about humanitarian work he did in Uganda and Kenya.
"Nick seemed to be fairly conscious of using this thing to promote his business," David Berg said. "(The interviewer) does ask him at one point about the money and he said no one's denying there's money to be made. But it's very clear when you watch it, Nick knew he wasn't going to make a lot of money."
Moore said he had considered using some of the footage in his film but that it got edited out, David Berg said. Aware of the footage they had, some of Moore's staffers cried when they heard about Berg's death, the filmmaker told David Berg.
Moore sent copies of the footage to David Berg in New Jersey and sister Sara Berg in Virginia. Their parents will see the video after returning to their suburban Philadelphia home from vacation, David Berg said.
"Fahrenheit 9/11," which recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, accuses the Bush administration of stealing the 2000 election, overlooking terrorism warnings before Sept. 11, 2001, and fanning fears of more attacks to secure American support for the Iraq war.
Given Moore's political leanings, David Berg said he was "really nervous" about what the footage of his brother might show. Nicholas Berg was in favor of bringing democracy to the Middle East, his family has said, but David Berg said his brother wasn't overtly political.
"He went to Iraq because he had certain beliefs about helping people in messed up situations, but it's not like he was trying to help the Bush administration," David Berg said.
David Berg said Moore has handled the situation with "dignity, respect and discipline."
"Michael Moore has really been a total class act with this whole thing," David Berg said. "He could have sold this to the media or stuck it in his movie."
BINGO!!! Is Michael Moore Ellsworth Tewey???
I know they were both Jewish but I have a sneaking suspicion that the killers did not know Berg was Jewish. Otherwise I think they would have played up that fact for all their "buddies" to "enjoy" in the taping. (Middle Easterners often have less "Jew-dar" than Americans, no matter how much they hate them.)
Howlin, I'm not getting your pings..maybe you could re-add me to your ping list? Thanks!
~Kim4VRWC's~
It's on the list........but I'll redo it to make sure you get them. I really haven't pinged to that many so far!
okee dokee....thanks! maybe this thread was made and the ping list used before I was added...
Moore's crew shot the 16-minute interview with Nicholas Berg during an Iraqi business conference in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 4, said his brother, David Berg.
A different conference?
OK, so you are saying that, somehow, Mike Moore is involved with this whole "Iraqi-prisoner/beheading deal."
Do you know, ma'am, how long it takes to MAKE A MOVIE?
It doesn't take just a few weeks. Sorry; I know you and your "spouse" might post your little masterpieces online within minutes of creation, but for real-life "movie folks", the process is a bit longer. Why in the WORLD would you think that ANY filmmaker would hold up distribution of his/her film to exploit the beheading of any person? Woman, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
I'm guessing that Moore put Berg up to it. Berg probably thought he was going to get some good info on those fun-loving guys from al Qaeda for Moore's movie.
Perhaps Moore was planning a segment on evil American corporation carpetbaggers out to plunder Iraq's wealth.
Exactly what some of us have thought. But it begs the question why they would interview Nick Berg who had a tiny little business. I've theorized that if it was just coincidence, it could be along the lines of "what's a small business guy like you doing here among the bigwig companies?".
Hey, he was dressed in a suit. :)
Who would have known he wasn't CEO of a big upstart carpetbagger company? ... until his death anyway. Then we found out he wasn't a Big Business Suit, after all.
Before this article, I didn't realize that Michael Moore actually has other people conduct interviews for his films. Does anybody know how common it is for him to do that?
Hadn't heard this info. What's your source?
It came from an article saying Nick's brother and sister were viewing MM's interview with Nick....and said the parents were on vacation and would view it when they returned.
I assume it was a contracor's conference. The U.S. gov't has been putting on conferences to attract companies to bid on the rebuilding efforts. It would seem to be where NB would go to try and secure some kind of work.
I know the parents were on vacation. Where's the reference for Hollinger (sp?) being with them on vacation?
My other question was assertion that the father, Michael, was his business manager. I never read that either. Sources anyone?
And if he interviewed other people at the conference, are those interviews in the film? If not, where are they?
I've posted those same questions before. Good ones, eh? I don't know.
Does this mean when the thing comes out one of us will have to go take notes? I am NOT volunteering.
Great analogy. I hated that movie.
I found another weird coincidence yesterday (and this one truly does appear to be just Gumpian, not sinister).
Someone posted emails Nick Berg sent from Kenya and Nairobi. That just happens to be where Alex Polier, Kerry's alleged intern paramour, ended up living with her fiance. Just an aside, but she and said "fiance" are living in his parents' compound and the father is a big business guy and mover and shaker in those parts.
Though I don't think Ms. Polier was there in March of 2003 when Nick Berg was, the fiance's family definitely was.
Just odd because she re-appeared on the media scene yesterday (via a self-written piece that was supposed to put to bed (I couldn't help it) the affair rumors, and she only managed to convince me if I wasn't already convinced, that something had gone on. So then last night I read the Berg emails and his "address" leapt out at me.
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