Fahrenheit 9/11

Fahrenheit 9/11 is a high-grossing, award-winning documentary film by American filmmaker Michael Moore, which had a general release in the United States and Canada on June 25, 2004. The film has since been released in 42 more countries and holds the record for highest box office receipts by a general release documentary.

At the Cannes Film Festival

In April 2004 the film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 57th Cannes Film Festival. After its first showing in Cannes in May of 2004, the film received a 20-minute standing ovation, which Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux declared "the longest standing ovation in the history of the festival." (According to French news the standing ovation was over 23 minutes long).

Related Topics:
April 2004 - Cannes Film Festival - Cannes - 2004 - Standing ovation - Thierry Frémaux

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On May 22, 2004, the film was awarded the Palme d'Or. It was the first documentary to win that award since Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle's The Silent World in 1956. Just like his much publicized Oscar acceptance speech, Moore's speech in Cannes included some opinionated statements:

Related Topics:
May 22 - 2004 - Jacques Cousteau - Louis Malle - The Silent World - 1956 - Oscar

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:I can't begin to express my appreciation and my gratitude to the jury, the Festival, to Gilles Jacob, Thierry Frémaux, Bob and Harvey at Miramax, to all of the crew who worked on the film. I have a sneaking suspicion that what you have done here and the response from everyone at the festival, you will assure that the American people will see this film. I can't thank you enough for that. You've put a huge light on this and many people want the truth and many want to put it in the closet, just walk away. There was a great Republican president who once said, if you just give the people the truth, the Republicans, the Americans will be saved. I dedicate this Palme d'Or to my daughter, to the children of Americans and to Iraq and to all those in the world who suffer from our actions.

Related Topics:
Gilles Jacob - Bob - Harvey - Miramax - Republican

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Some conservatives in the United States, such as Jon Alvarez of Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood (PABAAH), commented http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=7563 that such an award could be expected from "the French" (see Anti-Americanism, Anti-French sentiment in the United States); Moore responded: "There was only one French citizen on the jury. Four out of nine were American. This is not a French award, it was given by an international jury dominated by Americans."

Related Topics:
Patriotic Americans Boycotting Anti-American Hollywood - Anti-Americanism - Anti-French sentiment in the United States

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He also responded to claims that the award was political: "Quentin

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whispered in my ear, 'we want you to know that it was not the politics of your film that won you this award. We are not here to give a political award. Some of us have no politics. We awarded the art of cinema, that is what won you this award and we wanted you to know that as a fellow filmmaker.'"

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In comments to the prize winning jury in 2005, however, Cannes director Gilles Jacob told the jury to make their decision based on film-making rather than politics — a clear reference to Fahrenheit 9/11. He also said that despite the fact that Moore's talent was "not in doubt" he had won the award, "for political rather than cinematographic reasons, no matter what the jury said." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/12/wcann12.xml

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