Posted on 07/26/2004 7:37:22 PM PDT by Piefloater
AUSTRALIAN artist and filmmaker George Gittoes has objected to American Michael Moore's use of some of his work a controversial movie.
Mr Gittoes said today Mr Moore had incorporated about 17 selections from his own documentary film Soundtrack to War into Fahrenheit 9/11.
They depicted American soldiers and their music in Iraq.
"I was concerned of course for my soldiers because their interviews were taken out of context," Mr Gittoes said on Channel 9.
"There are about 17 scenes from my documentary in his film. I wouldn't go so far as to say he lifted (them).
"Michael got access to my stuff and assumed that I would be happy for it to be in 9/11. I would actually have been quite happy for it not to be in 9/11."
Fahrenheit 9/11 is highly critical of the Bush administration and its conduct of the war on terror and the Iraq conflict.
Mr Gittoes said he had decided to let the matter ride, but would prefer people see his film.
"Mine's a better film. My film's balanced. I don't think there's a lot of balance in 9/11."
Mr Gittoes said he had some contact with the company, Westside Productions, associated with Michael Moore, but had no idea his work was in Fahrenheit 9/11 until it was screened at the Cannes film festival.
"When I finally discussed it face to face with Michael, I realised that no-one wants to be a spoiler. He's an artist and that's how he makes his work.
"He doesn't go out to Iraq like I do and dodge bullets. He makes it from mainly archival footage and the stuff that other people shoot."
Mr Gittoes said Soundtrack to War explained the role of music in the lives of the young American soldiers in Iraq. It includes soldiers performing their own rap, gospel and rock music.
"The work of a soldier is hard and this new generation of soldiers are better educated and more articulate," he said.
"In my film they are creative. I chose to work with soldier artists, musicians who are rappers, they are gospel singers and rock and rollers and show how they are creating music from their experiences.
"The music is just absolutely important. These soldiers said it was more important than food. It gives them a world to get into, a world to escape from."
I hope he sues and takes away all of Michael Moore's profits.
So in addition to being a lier, Moore is a plagarist as well.
What a piece of work!
VietVet
I am NOT surprised....."auteurs" of film like MM can't build his own film, just steals from the best. MM sickens me.
Mr. Gittoes is a pushover.
How much of a film would be left if MM has to remove ALL the stolen clips, the unauthorized clips, plagerized sections?
I'd sue that fat, plagarizing s.o.b. for the hundred mill.
Like I said before; not even the most trivial detail of this film is unstained. It's a lie, wrapped in distortions, twisted around halftruths, pulled together with innuendos, sourced by deceits and put together with thievery.
And those are its good points.
He's a cinefraud.
He will NOT pursue it? Just like Ray Bradbury. Chickens... Either that or they agree with Moore.
In Ray Bradbury's case, there was no legal basis for action against Michael Moore. Moore could claim that his work was parodying the totalitarian government of Bradbury's book by comparing the actions of the modern government to it. Rather an artistic stretch, but one he could most likely get away with in a court of law.
As for the case of the lifted footage and music, if the material was lifted unaltered I see no basic for a parody defense; if there was no citation given I can't see how fair use would fly either. So this would seem like a much more winnable case. Too bad this one isn't being pursued.
I assume that some media company owns the rights to the original film, not the filmmaker himself. So if someone does a deal with the media company, they can excerpt scenes from it without the filmmaker's permission or knowledge.
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