Manufacturing Dissent (2007)

A documentary that looks to distinguish what's fact, fiction, legend, and otherwise as a camera crew trails Michael Moore while he tours with his film Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004).

Directors:

Rick Caine, Debbie Melnyk

Writers:

Debbie Melnyk, Rick Caine

Stars:

Michael Moore, Debbie Melnyk, Rick Caine

Cast

Credited cast:
Michael Moore	...	Himself
Debbie Melnyk	...	Herself
Rick Caine	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dave Barber	...	Himself - Flint Radio Personality
Roseanne Barr	...	Herself (archive footage) (as Roseanne)
Peter Bart	...	Himself
Tony Bennett	...	Himself
Elizabeth Bourgeois	...	Herself - Director, 'Flint, MI: Michael & Me'
José Bové	...	Himself
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Laura Bush	...	Herself (archive footage)
Jimmy Carter	...	Himself (archive footage)
Rosalynn Carter	...	Herself (archive footage)
Dick Cheney	...	Himself (archive footage)
Noam Chomsky	...	Himself - Author, 'Manufacturing Consent'

Storyline

Manufacturing Dissent is a topical documentary seeking to separate fact, fiction, and legend. It chronicles Michael Moore on tour during the promotion of Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), all while exploring the politically charged climate in America that has prompted Moore's ascension from documentary filmmaker to icon of the political left.

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Plot Keywords:

documentary filmmaker | f rated | spoof title | 

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Taglines:

It's never been so hard to get Michael Moore in front of a camera.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 2007 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

A nyugtalanság kiváltója: Michael Moore különös módszerei

Filming Locations:

Davison, Michigan, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Persistence of Vision Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Dave Marsh: If you won't tell the truth because it's bad for the cause then the cause becomes a fiction, which is exactly what's happened. It's happened with the Left in the United States as a whole and it's happened with Michael Moore.

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Connections

References Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)

User Reviews

A Balanced Film On An Unbalanced Filmmaker

It's hard to count how many documentaries have been made about Michael Moore, but those made by Canadian left-wing fans seem to be a bit scarcer. Supported largely by Canadian financiers, Manufacturing Dissent starts out as a balanced exploration of filmmaker and political personality Michael Moore. The film documents Moore during his 2004 national touring campaign for Fahrenheit 9/11, his politically sensational documentary that spoke out against the integrity of the Bush Administration. As the film progresses, the filmmakers are disappointingly unsuccessful in securing an interview with Moore, and as they try, facts arise questioning Moore's credibility as a journalist, his film-making techniques, and his personal character. It concludes on a much less optimistic note than at the beginning, gradually disclosing a reluctantly-developed disenchantment with the fervent Midwestern public activist. What makes Manufacturing Dissent particularly unique is its resistance from sensationalizing its condemning findings. With an attitude of professional reserve, Manufacturing Dissent strategically uses subtlety and a careful resolve to disclose straightforward facts and present the comments of interviewees with accuracy and integrity—a set of convictions that many viewers, in turn, observe to be lacking from Moore's bountiful supply. This is a film that speaks, first and foremost, to the die-hard fans of Michael Moore. Leftist followers owe it to themselves to experience the cautious, revealing process that this film provides.