Fahrenheit 9

Colour, 35 mm
USA, 2004, 112 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

Provocatively political and unambiguously anti-Bush, American director Michael Moore´s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 won the Palme d´Or at this year´s Cannes IFF. The first part of the film offers an ironic portrait of Bush´s personality, and investigates the circumstances and ramifications of the terrorist attack on the WTC and war in Afghanistan. He points out that Bush disregarded warning signs relating to the planned attack, but also delves deeply into the past. The second section focuses primarily on the war in Iraq. The film poses the question: "Who would be interested in Iraq if it didn´t have the world´s second largest oil deposits? Bush is bombing the entire world because of oil." The final part of Fahrenheit 9/11 is the most emotive; Moore brings together the statements of people who have been hit by the war, not only in Iraq but at home in the US as well. The movie is shot in an entertaining and lively way, full of humour. While at Cannes the director explained why this was necessary: if he didn´t grab the interest of the young "popcorn" public for whom he made the film they´d get up and walk out.

About the director

Michael Moore (b. 1954, Flint, Michigan) founded the Flint Voice in the mid seventies, an alternative newspaper he published for ten years. He used his experience as an independent journalist and as editor of the political magazine Mother Jones in the creation of provocative documentaries which feature his own controversial agenda. Last year he won an Academy Award®, César and Independent Spirit Award for his feature-length documentary about America´s passion for guns, Bowling for Columbine. The equally provocative Fahrenheit 9/11 took this year´s Palme d´Or at Cannes. He is a writer, actor, producer and creator of music videos. Filmography: Roger and Me (1989, feature-length doc), Pets or Meat: The Return of Flint (1992, short), Canadian Bacon (1995, comedy), the feature-length documentaries The Big One (1997), And Justice for All (1998) and Bowling for Columbine (2002), and the short film A Brief History of the United States of America (2002, short).