TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Madonna's new film on the
impoverished nation of Malawi has wowed another maker of
documentaries: Michael Moore.
Moore announced Thursday that Madonna, like himself a Michigan
native, will appear for a screening of "I Am Because We Are"
during the Traverse City Film Festival on Aug. 2.
"She's sort of entered my realm," Moore said. "When I saw it,
I thought, 'Wow, it's like she's been making these films for
years."
Madonna produced and narrated the documentary after traveling to
Malawi, where she met the toddler David Banda. She and husband Guy
Ritchie are adopting the child.
"I Am Because We Are" illustrates the poverty that children of
the southern African country face, how the AIDS crisis is claiming
lives, and the conditions that cause disease and other misery
there. But the film urges people to volunteer and tries to offer
hope.
"She takes the viewer through a very personal journey and tries
to connect us, living here in the U.S., giving us a window into the
way it is for other people in the world," Moore said. "You're
extremely moved when you watch it. You understand very clearly why
she's devoted so much of her life to the people of Malawi."
He said he was "outraged" by the criticism Madonna received
for her efforts to adopt David. Some children's rights groups said
it would be better to provide more resources so children could
remain in their native countries. Others accused her of using her
celebrity status to circumvent Malawian adoption laws, which she
denied.
"As one who has seen what the yellow press can and does do, all
of that was just one more reminder to me of just how dishonest so
much of the media is in this country," Moore said.
An e-mail message seeking comment was sent to a publicist for
Madonna.
Moore, who won the Academy Award in 2002 for "Bowling for
Columbine," said he saw an early version of Madonna's film in
London while shooting scenes for his latest documentary, "Sicko."
After watching the finished product about a month ago, he asked
Madonna for permission to screen it during the festival in Traverse
City, his adopted hometown about 250 miles northwest of Detroit.
Moore established the festival in 2005 with local author Doug
Stanton and photographer John Robert Williams.
"She said she'd be thrilled to come here and be part of the
film festival," Moore said. "We were pleasantly surprised."
Madonna, born in Bay City and raised near Detroit, recently
released a new album, "Hard Candy," and is preparing for a
worldwide tour that begins in August. She'll take a one-day break
from rehearsals to visit Traverse City.
The film will be shown in the downtown State Theatre, which
seats 540. Tickets go on sale June 7 on a first-come, first-served
basis. After the film is shown, Madonna will take questions from
the audience, Moore said.
For those who don't get in, a free showing of "A League of
Their Own," featuring Madonna and Tom Hanks among other stars,
will take place in a city park beside Lake Michigan's Grand
Traverse Bay.
------
On the Net:
--Film festival: http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org
impoverished nation of Malawi has wowed another maker of
documentaries: Michael Moore.
Moore announced Thursday that Madonna, like himself a Michigan
native, will appear for a screening of "I Am Because We Are"
during the Traverse City Film Festival on Aug. 2.
"She's sort of entered my realm," Moore said. "When I saw it,
I thought, 'Wow, it's like she's been making these films for
years."
Madonna produced and narrated the documentary after traveling to
Malawi, where she met the toddler David Banda. She and husband Guy
Ritchie are adopting the child.
"I Am Because We Are" illustrates the poverty that children of
the southern African country face, how the AIDS crisis is claiming
lives, and the conditions that cause disease and other misery
there. But the film urges people to volunteer and tries to offer
hope.
"She takes the viewer through a very personal journey and tries
to connect us, living here in the U.S., giving us a window into the
way it is for other people in the world," Moore said. "You're
extremely moved when you watch it. You understand very clearly why
she's devoted so much of her life to the people of Malawi."
He said he was "outraged" by the criticism Madonna received
for her efforts to adopt David. Some children's rights groups said
it would be better to provide more resources so children could
remain in their native countries. Others accused her of using her
celebrity status to circumvent Malawian adoption laws, which she
denied.
"As one who has seen what the yellow press can and does do, all
of that was just one more reminder to me of just how dishonest so
much of the media is in this country," Moore said.
An e-mail message seeking comment was sent to a publicist for
Madonna.
Moore, who won the Academy Award in 2002 for "Bowling for
Columbine," said he saw an early version of Madonna's film in
London while shooting scenes for his latest documentary, "Sicko."
After watching the finished product about a month ago, he asked
Madonna for permission to screen it during the festival in Traverse
City, his adopted hometown about 250 miles northwest of Detroit.
Moore established the festival in 2005 with local author Doug
Stanton and photographer John Robert Williams.
"She said she'd be thrilled to come here and be part of the
film festival," Moore said. "We were pleasantly surprised."
Madonna, born in Bay City and raised near Detroit, recently
released a new album, "Hard Candy," and is preparing for a
worldwide tour that begins in August. She'll take a one-day break
from rehearsals to visit Traverse City.
The film will be shown in the downtown State Theatre, which
seats 540. Tickets go on sale June 7 on a first-come, first-served
basis. After the film is shown, Madonna will take questions from
the audience, Moore said.
For those who don't get in, a free showing of "A League of
Their Own," featuring Madonna and Tom Hanks among other stars,
will take place in a city park beside Lake Michigan's Grand
Traverse Bay.
------
On the Net:
--Film festival: http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org
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