[Reader-list] Shoot Movies, Not Iraqis

[Harsh Kapoor]

#1.

http://www.guerrillanews.com/
Guerrilla of the Week
Editor's Pick,  March 24, 2003

Well, it wasn't quite as dramatic as Marlon Brando's 1972 boycott of 
an Oscar for Best Actor, but last night's Academy Award ceremony 
featured some rather inspired demonstrations of thespian dissent.

Michael Moore led the charge when, after capping off the brilliant 
run of Bowling for Columbine with the award for Best Documentary 
Feature, he appeared on stage with his fellow nominees. Using every 
inch of his national prime time real estate, the perennial outsider 
launched into a blustery tirade, almost completed before the band 
began to play over him.

"I have invited my fellow documentary nominees on the stage with us, 
and we would like to - they're here in solidarity with me because we 
like nonfiction. We like nonfiction and we live in fictitious times. 
We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that 
elects a fictitious president. We live in a time where we have a man 
sending us to war for fictitious reasons. Whether it's the fictition 
of duct tape or fictition of orange alerts we are against this war, 
Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you. And any time you got 
the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up. Thank you 
very much."

Even better was his post-Oscar press conference which can be viewed 
through the Oscar site 
[http://www.oscar.com/oscarnight/winners/win_32297.html].

Of course, there were other notable mentions and references to the 
war. But one that really deserves mention is that of Best Actor 
winner, Adrien Brody. For those who have not seen his devastating 
performance in The Pianist, it was one of those rare artistic 
expressions that are able personify a generation's pain and loss, in 
this case, from the ravages of war. And so it was not surprising that 
he would want to use his time to make some mention of the crisis in 
Iraq. The only difference was that Adrien, wary of the device that 
conquered Michael Moore's speech, simply commanded the music to stop.

"And you know, wait one second. One second, please one second. Cut it 
out, cut it out. I get one shot at this. I'm sorry. I didn't say more 
than five names, I don't think, but. This is, you know, it fills me 
with great joy, but I am also filled with a lot of sadness tonight 
because I am accepting an award at such a strange time. And you know 
my experiences of making this film made me very aware of the sadness 
and the dehumanization of people at times of war. And the 
repercussions of war. And whatever you believe in, if it's God or 
Allah, may he watch over you and let's pray for a peaceful and swift 
resolution. Thank you. And I have a friend from Queens who's a 
soldier in Kuwait right now, Tommy Zarabinski, and I hope you and 
your boys make it back real soon. God bless you guys. I love you. 
Thank you very much."

o o o


#2.

http://www.thenation.com/thebeat/
The Online Beat
by John Nichols

"Shoot Movies, Not Iraqis"

03/24/2003 @ 01:03am

Well, we can rest assured that the Academy Awards voting is not rigged.

Going into Sunday night's Oscars' ceremony, it was a safe bet that, 
if the people who run the movie-industry's annual prize patrol had 
their druthers, anti-war filmmaker Michael Moore would not have 
gotten anywhere near a microphone. Moore, who wore a badge reading, 
"Shoot Movies, Not Iraqis," when he accepted an Independent Spirit 
Award the night before, had promised that if he won an Oscar he would 
use his acceptance speech to make an issue of Bush's war. With 
right-wing talk radio hosts and members of the Congressional Yahoo 
Caucus already ranting and roaring about unpatriotic celebrities, the 
pressure was on to avoid controversy.

But, to a greater extent than just about anyone in Hollywood, Moore 
embraces controversy. And the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & 
Sciences voters who decided the winner of the best documentary 
feature competition embraced Moore's "Bowling for Columbine," a 
hilarious and haunting examination of gun violence, poverty and the 
media in America. The Academy voters gave the rabble-rousing 
filmmaker, author and activist an Oscar for his documentary -- as 
well as an opportunity to deliver 45-seconds of "message" to the 
world.

Moore took the stage, and immediately took after Bush and the war in Iraq.

Surrounded by his fellow nominees in the best documentary category, 
Moore announced, "They're here in solidarity with me because we like 
nonfiction. We like nonfiction and we live in fictitious times. We 
live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elect 
a fictitious president. We live in a time where we have a man sending 
us to war for fictitious reasons. Whether it's the fictition of duct 
tape or (the) fictition of Orange Alerts, we are against this war, 
Mr. Bush."

As the packed auditorium at Hollywood's Kodak Theater erupted with a 
wild mix of applause and booing, Moore yelled: "Shame on you, Mr. 
Bush, shame on you." He closed by referencing the international 
opposition to the U.S. attack on Iraq -- which includes everyone from 
religious leaders to country music stars. Addressing Bush, Moore 
said, "Any time you got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, 
your time is up."

Moore's was not the only anti-war voice heard at what may well have 
been the most politically-charged Academy Awards ceremony ever. 
Dozens of stars wore peace pins and Artists United to Win Without War 
badges. As he introduced a song from the film "Frida," which tells 
the story of radical artist Frida Kahlo, actor Gael Garcia Bernal 
interrupted his scripted remarks to say, "The necessity for peace in 
the world is not a dream. It is a reality, and we are not alone. If 
Frida was alive, she would be on our side, against war."

Actress Barbra Streisand defended free speech rights. Actress Susan 
Sarandon flashed a peace sign as she appeared on the stage. Spanish 
director Pedro Almodóvar, an outspoken foe of the war who won the 
best original screenplay award for his film "Talk to Her," dedicated 
his Oscar "to all the people that are raising their voices in favor 
of peace, respect of human rights, democracy and international 
legality." And Nicole Kidman, who won the best actress Oscar for 
playing Virginia Woolf in "The Hours," spoke of the pain of "families 
losing people" in a time of war.

Actor Adrien Brody, who won the best actor Oscar for her performance 
in the Holocaust-themed film "The Pianist," expressed his great joy 
at the unexpected honor. He then insisted on a bit more time to say, 
"I am also filled with a lot of sadness tonight because I am 
accepting an award at such a strange time. And you know my 
experiences of making this film made me very aware of the sadness and 
the dehumanization of people at times of war. And the repercussions 
of war. And whatever you believe in, if it's God or Allah, may he 
watch over you and let's pray for a peaceful and swift resolution."

Accepting the best supporting actor award for his role in the film 
"Adaptation," actor Chris Cooper closed his speech with a succinct 
message: "In light of all the troubles in the world, I wish us all -- 
peace."