Deconstructing Michael

What if Michael Moore got a taste of his own medicine and the camera was turned on him? What if information leaked out that the film that put him on the map, “Roger and Me”, was actually a deception? That’s what this documentary is all about. Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine were admirers of Michael Moore. They appreciated what he did for documentary films in general and wanted to sit him down and pick his brain for a while. But, that was not as easy as they thought. He dodged their attempts at an interview in very much the same way people dodge Moore when asked sensitive questions. The documentary “Manufacturing Dissent” focuses on Moore’s background and the tactics that made him so famous. One big surprise was unveiled while doing research for the film. Roger Smith, the former chairman of GM and the evasive subject of the film “Roger and Me”, did actually speak with Moore but the interview was conveniently withheld from the final cut of the film and never talked about. That was the whole premise of the film and it turns out it was staged.

Also, when they tried to interview him, they were constantly rejected and when they tried to sit at his speech for 'Fahrenheit 9/11’, they were kicked out by Moore’s crew. The premiere of the film on Saturday in Toronto was very peaceful and went smoothly, without any protests or heckles from fans of Moore. Still, after all the trouble this documentarian husband/wife team went through, they still feel that Michael Moore has done an indelible service to documentary filmmakers everywhere. He made documentaries interesting and popular and nowadays, they are very profitable at the box office. Just look at Fahrenheit 9/11 and An Inconvenient Truth.

Source: CNN - http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/13/film.manufacturing.dissent.ap/index.html