"Death of a President" wins Prize of the Int'l Critics, Toronto Film Fest

[Human Torch]

Controversial Bush Film Is Honored



TORONTO Sep 17, 2006 (AP)— Mexican-born director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde's feature film debut, the unheralded "Bella," took the top audience prize at the 31st Toronto International Film Festival. International critics gave an award to the controversial British TV movie "Death of a President," which centers on a fictionalized assassination of President Bush.

British director Gabriel Range's "Death of a President" stirred up a strong reaction even before it premiered at the festival and won the Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize). The jury of film critics cited the film "for the audacity with which it distorts reality to reveal a larger truth."

"Death of a President," which was bought by Newmarket Films and is slated to air Oct. 9 on an offshoot of Britain's Channel 4 network, chronicles the sniper shooting of Bush on Oct. 19, 2007, during a trip to Chicago and the ensuing investigation.

The film blends archival footage of the president interspersed with fierce anti-war protests and other fictional scenes crafted by the filmmakers. Actors posing as administration officials and Secret Service agents were digitally grafted into some images of the president and his entourage. The filmmakers said they chose to use Bush rather than substitute a fictitious president to heighten the authenticity. "I'm thrilled that the film is going to be shown in theaters both here and in the U.S. in the near future," Range said Saturday. "That's proof that people can see beyond the premise and see that it's a film about this post-9/11 world that we live in."

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2456017

[Straight Shooter]

1. How many people will watch the movie just to see him assassinated?

I only went to see The Titanic because I heard the scene of the sinking of the ship was incredible (it was).

The popularity of this film may reveal with undeniable clarity just how unpopular the bush administration is.

[Human Torch]

3. You've got a point there...

...on one hand, the filmmaker discusses why he chose "that scene" in the context of a bigger story of a post-9/11 world. On the other hand, I'm sure there will be no shortage of people who will line up to see "that scene."

If YouTube isn't sued into oblivion in the near future, I'm sure it will be one of its top-rated clips.

If the Pope gets burned in effigy for his remarks on Islam, I wonder where Bush's occupation of Iraq fits on the "rage scale?"

:patriot:

[calimary]

4. It will indeed be interesting to see audience reaction to "that" scene.

And it will certainly be informative. I bet you're correct - that people will go just to see "that" scene. I wonder if there will be cheers or boos. But then again, I'd suspect it'd mainly be people who already hate bush who'd go. Just like the people who hate Clinton probably made up most of the audience of ABC's 9/11 hose job - just to see him and his people tarred and feathered and libeled. That was fiction, too. But they went for it. Swallowed it whole. The bush-lovers will boycott this film. The rest of us can make up our own minds.

[bdamomma]

2. well that is our response from the world regarding this maniac.

[Vidar]

5. Seems unrealistic without scenes of worldwide celebration.

[Catchawave]

6. Do we have RW outrage yet?

While I can't support any kind of violence, even in the name of "art", can't help but think...if this was a Michael Moore movie....?