No 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' film depicts war in Iraq as liberation

Christian Science Monitor ^ | from the May 23, 2005 edition | Peter Ford | Staff writer

[Chi-townChief]

CANNES, FRANCE - Twelve months after Michael Moore scooped Cannes' top award with "Fahrenheit 9/11," - a scathing indictment of the Bush adminstration's handling of the war in Iraq - a very different movie director screened a very different view of the war at the world's premier cinematic gathering.

Director Hiner Saleem did not win the Golden Palm this year. But his film "Kilometre Zero" created a good deal of buzz at the competition, which closed on Saturday, not least because of its final scene.

"We're free! We're free!" two Iraqi Kurdish exiles shout exultantly as they hear the news of Saddam Hussein's overthrow on April 9, 2003. "We're free! We're free!"

That joyous reaction to the invasion of Iraq is not likely to go down well with the European audiences who idolized Mr. Moore. But Mr. Saleem, an Iraqi Kurd, is equally worried about being adopted as a standard-bearer by the war's supporters.

"My film is not the opposite of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' because I don't judge George Bush or the United States," Saleem says. " I judge Saddam Hussein and I simply say he was a monster."

[Chi-townChief]

"we Kurds would have been happy if the French or the Swedes had liberated us," he adds. "But it was the Americans who came. For us, the result is positive."

Surprisingly, nothing from Roger Ebert on this one.

[WorkingClassFilth]

He never saw the film because his feet were stuck to the floor in front of the lobby candy counter.

[exDemMom]

a scathing indictment of the Bush adminstration's handling of the war in Iraq

Clarification: a propaganda hit-piece filled with lies and misrepresentations, designed to push people to the dark side. It reminds me of Chancellor Palpitine's methods.

[EdHallick]

A good friend of mine is an Iraqi who now lives in Germany was crying when they finally caught that bastard, as I`m sure most Iraqis were. She said all the "Iraqis" causing all the trouble there now are the bums, the ones with no education who caused trouble for everyone even when Saddam was in power, much like you have gangs in the US who cause trouble. She said what really ticks her off is how the media portrays them as freedom fighters (remember this is in Germany)and they never show the educated Iraqis who support the US. She said these ones fighting are not fighting for anything, they`re just a bunch of criminals and don`t care anything for Iraq. They`re anarchists, which is why I guess liberals love them.

[silent_jonny]

That joyous reaction to the invasion of Iraq is not likely to go down well with the European audiences who idolized Mr. Moore.

This may help to explain why the Cannes crowd was "dissapointed" by this year's offerings.

[Allegra]

That joyous reaction to the invasion of Iraq is not likely to go down well with the European audiences who idolized Mr. Moore.

Well, that's just too dang bad, isn't it?

[martin_fierro]

Director Hiner Saleem did not win the Golden Palm this year.

[silent_jonny]

Surprisingly, nothing from Roger Ebert on this one.

Usually Ebert waits until the film is released domestically before he reviews it, but if "Zero" really is the anti-"F-911", then I wouldn't expect his review to be glowing.

[Brett66]

We are meant to think either like the Europeans or like the Americans," Saleem complains. "Well, I want to think like a Kurd.

Is it European or American thinking that freed Iraq and defeated Saddam?

[traviskicks]

For those interested, a lengthy review of the Moore film.

http://www.neoperspectives.com/farenheight_911.htm

[nuconvert]

.

[Chi-townChief]

Ebert was writing columns from Cannes all last week.

[weegee]

BUMP