''Manufacturing Dissent'' produces large crowds

Jacksonville Film Festival
Saturday, May 19, 2007
''Manufacturing Dissent'' produces large crowds
Vic Micolucci

Each year at the film festival, there is a movie that everyone talks about. This year, walking around the Jacksonville Film Festival, movie-goers hear a lot about “Chops,” “Monster Camp,” and “When Pigs Fly.” “Manufacturing Dissent” seems to trump all films screened, though. It’s not your average indie film at the festival. Rick Caine, co-director and co-producer of the film, came from Toronto to showcase his in-depth documentary at JFF.

Caine says the movie differs from most films featured at the festival because it draws on hard-nosed journalism rather than artistic expression. The movie, which took two and a half years to complete, originally started as a simple documentary of controversial filmmaker Michael Moore. “[We thought] we dig this guy, we’re fans, we’ll make a movie about him.” But the crew learned new things about Moore. “We realized there were more skeletons in the closet we didn’t know about. We thought ‘are we going to tell the truth or bury it?” Caine, whose résumé boasts jobs for the Associated Press, Reuters, and The St. Petersburg Times, decided along with the other producers to hide nothing in the documentary. The writers’ experience in the news business led them to depict the information uncovered in a fair and balanced manner, allowing viewers to formulate their own opinions.

“We agree with him politically but the film has become a rather critical look at his career. Some people didn’t want to see this happen to their hero.” The co-director said this film will not change the well-known, anti-Bush Moore’s career track, though. ''You either like him or hate him and [this movie] won’t change that.”

The “politically rattling” film, which has footage of the 2004 presidential election ballot-casting in Jacksonville, has seen much success since its release. It premiered at the South By Southwest music festival to a sellout crowd. Since then, it has visited over 30 international film festivals. The film made its First Coast premier opposite the opening night festivities Thursday and still saw a packed house at the San Marco Theatre. Caine was impressed with the 5-year old, budding film festival. “It’s done right. It is low key and cool and the people are friendly. It’s a great chance to rub elbows with other filmmakers.” Caine had nothing but good things to say about the festival, which is much smaller-scaled than he is used to. “All the theaters are excellent cinemas. People at the Q&A sessions are not passive at all.”

The Michael Moore-centered documentary will play again Sunday morning at 10:45 inside Theatre Jacksonville.