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CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY

Ein Film von Michael Moore USA 2009 | 105 Minuten

Pressekontakt: Corinne Otto / Elite Film corinne@ascot-elite.ch Tel. 044 298 81 72 Badenerstrasse 156, 8004 Zrich www.ascot-elite.ch

KINOSTART: 22. Oktober 2009

CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY

SYNOPSIS
On the 20-year anniversary of his groundbreaking masterpiece Roger & Me, Michael Moores Capitalism: A Love Story returns to the issue hes been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan. From Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan, Michael Moore will once again take filmgoers into uncharted territory. With both humor and outrage, Michael Moores Capitalism: A Love Story explores a taboo question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Years ago, that love seemed so innocent. Today, however, the American dream is looking more like a nightmare as families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings. Moore takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-toofamiliar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayaland 14,000 jobs being lost every day. Capitalism: A Love Story is both a culmination of Moores previous works and a look into what a more hopeful future could look like. It is Michael Moores ultimate quest to answer the question hes posed throughout his illustrious filmmaking career: Who are we and why do we behave the way that we do?

CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY

Questions for Michael Moore

1. What inspired you to make this movie? Why now? In America, people tend to wait for the coast to be clear before openly discussing certain topics and saying certain things. Even if its right in front of our noses and people sense that somethings gone terribly wrongthey go with the flow. They adjust and accept mediocrity, get comfortable and settle in. Most feel that if they just keep their heads down and their noses to the grindstone, theyll squeak by. But someone has to speak up. My goal is to address the questions that have been forming in my head for some time and that I believe our society needs to address as well. Its not the job of the artist or the musician or the filmmaker to follow the crowd. Politicians wont change anything on their own. It doesnt make any sense for them to be courageous; thats too risky. Its the people that need to make them change. Then, once the truth emerges, those who scoffed and sneered will turn around and sound an awful lot like the lonely people they once ridiculed. 2. How long did the film take to complete? We began production in the spring of 2008. But in reality, this is the movie Ive been making for the past twenty years. Since Roger & Me debuted in 1989, there have been common threads and ideas present in all of my projects. Capitalism: A Love Story is not just a continuation of that, its the culmination. 3. A lot of people are angry about the recent financial meltdown and its effects on investments, jobs, home prices and government budgets, but they dont necessarily know who to blame. Will this film help us to see who was at fault for this collapse? I dont think its really a mystery whos behind this financial collapse. Theres been a lot of anger directed at the banks and financial institutions that hijacked our economy and gambled it away. And at the politicians who allowed it to happen... Dont get me started. This film is not about a boom or a bust or a bailout. I started working on this before the economy tanked and before I had any idea there would be a massive looting of the U.S. Treasury a month before a Presidential election. I dont focus on one individual, or company or issue; this is the big enchilada. This film takes 3

on the system that allows, encourages and, most importantly, guarantees this corruption.

4. In terms of the governments role, it seems like theres plenty of blame to go around. Members of both political parties have contributed to the current situation. Are anybodys hands clean in Washington? There isnt enough Purell hand sanitizer* in the world to disinfect Washington. This film names names, and goes after both parties without fear or favor. Every political discussion degrades into liberal against conservative and Democrat against Republican. Thats just a distraction from the real issue: the system we operate under owns both parties and both liberals and conservatives. There are some loud and bitter arguments between the two parties, but they are all looking to stay in power and the last thing they want to do is rock the boat. This film will address the issues that are not being debated in Congress or on the Sunday morning talk shows (which are brought to you by Boeing, AT&T, Archer Daniels Midland, ExxonMobil). *This is not an endorsement for Purell. Im sure the pharmacy-brand hand sanitizers work just as well and are a little bit cheaper. 5. What do you hope audiences will take away from this film? Popcorn and pitchforks.

MICHAEL MOORE FILMOGRAPHY

SICKO (2007) Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival Nominated, Best Documentary, Academy Awards Winner, Best Edited Documentary, American Cinema Editors/EDDIE Awards Winner, Best Documentary, Critics Choice Awards Winner, Best Documentary, Producers Guild Awards Winner, Best Documentary, Broadcast Film Critics Awards Winner, Best Documentary, Gotham Awards Winner, Best Documentary, New York Film Critics Online Winner, Best Documentary, Chicago Film Critics Awards Winner, Best Documentary, Phoenix Film Critics Awards Winner, Best Documentary, St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Winner, Best Documentary, D.C. Area Film Critics Awards Winner, Best Documentary, Satellite Awards Winner, Best Documentary, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Awarded, Career Achievement Award, International Documentary Association Nominated, Best Documentary Screenplay, Writers Guild of America Awards Nominated, Favourite Independent Movie, Peoples Choice Awards Nominated, Best Documentary, Online Film Critics Society Awards Nominated, Outstanding Documentary, NAACP Image Awards FAHRENHEIT 9/11 (2004) Winner, Palme D'Or, Cannes Film Festival Winner, Best Documentary, Broadcast Film Critics Award Winner, Best Documentary, Chicago Film Critics Association Award Winner, IDA Award, International Documentary Association (tie with "Born Into Brothels") Winner, Best Non-Fiction Film, New York Film Critics Circle Winner, Favourite Motion Picture, People's Choice Awards Nominated, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary, Directors Guild of America Nominee, American Cinema Editors (Eddie) BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (2002) Winner, Best Documentary, Academy Awards Winner, 55th Anniversary Prize, Cannes Film Festival Winner, Best Original Screenplay, Writers Guild of America Winner, American Cinema Editors (Eddie) Winner, Best Documentary, Broadcast Film Critics Award Winner, Best Documentary, Chicago Film Critics Association Award Winner, Best Documentary, Independent Spirit Awards Winner, Best Documentary, National Board of Review

THE AWFUL TRUTH [TV] (1999-2001) Nominee, Outstanding Non-Fiction Series, Emmy Awards 2001 Nominee, Outstanding Non-Fiction Series, Emmy Awards 1999 Nominee, WGA Award (TV), Writers Guild of America 2001 Nominee, WGA Award (TV), Writers Guild of America 2000 TV NATION [TV] (1994-1997) Winner, Outstanding Informational Series, Emmy Awards (1995) Nominee, Outstanding Informational Series, Emmy Awards (1996) THE BIG ONE (1997) Winner, Best Documentary, Boston Society of Film Critics Winner, Best Documentary, Online Film Critics Society CANADIAN BACON (1995) Official Selection, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival ROGER & ME (1989) Winner, American Cinema Editors (Eddie) Winner, IDA Award, International Documentary Association Winner, Best Documentary, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Winner, Best Documentary, National Board of Review Winner, Best Documentary, National Society of Film Critics Winner, Best Documentary, New York Film Critics Circle

CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY

About the Filmmakers

MICHAEL MOORE (Writer/Director/Producer)

Michael Moore was born in 1954 in Flint, Michigan, the son of an auto worker and nephew of a veteran of the 1936 Flint Sit-Down Strike. His family was among the original settlers in the Flint area. After spending time attending a Catholic seminary, Moore became one of the first 18-year-olds elected to public office in the United States when he won a seat on the local school board. At 22, he founded and edited an alternative newspaper, The Flint Voice. Moores publication made national news when a court reversed the mayor of Flints order to the police to seize the Voices printing plates after an article exposed the mayors use of federally-paid workers on his own political campaign. Finding himself unemployed in 1986, Michael decided to document General Motors devastation of his home town. He put together a group of friends who taught themselves how to make a film, sold whatever he owned to fund the production and, in 1989, presented Roger & Me to the world. The rest is history.

KEY CAST & CREW

Writer, Director, Producer Michael Moore Producer Anne Moore Executive Producers Kathleen Glynn Bob Weinstein Harvey Weinstein Co-Producers Rod Birleson John Hardesty Editors John Walter Conor ONeill Co-Editors Jessica Brunetto Alex Mellier Tanya Mellier Pablo Proenza T. Woody Richman Line Producer Jennifer Latham Score Jeff Gibbs

Archival Producers Judy Aley Pearl Lieberman

Senior Field Producers Adriane Giebel Basel Hamdan Associate Producer Eric Weinrib Camera Daniel Marracino Jayme Roy Sound Francisco LaTorre Mark Roy Hillary Stewart