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The situation is, to my mind, not unlike that of a certain Chinese director with whom we're all familiar who refuses to attend a major international film festival (with which we're also all familiar) on the grounds that Western film critics automatically mark every film by a Chinese director as being pro-(communist) government or anti-government, and then goes on to make a film glorifying the brutal conquest of China in the name of national unity, by one of the most reviled emperors in the nation's history.

I fully agree. Kung Fu Hustle is now one of my top 4 favorite movies of all time. For documentaries, we've also got the Aristocrats to look forward to this year. It just opened up on four screens this past weekend and earned $243,796. I suspect Aristocrats will top this penguin movie in box office reciepts.

Oh, yeah. There was also the American release of "Old Boy" earlier this year. It's definitely the most extreme revenge flick I have ever seen. So, yeah, some people may generalize and say nothing but Hollywood crap is in the theaters, but like you've pointed out, that's not the case.

Seth

If BFC was actually a documentary, its premise would be absent of intentional subjectivity.

Ridiculous. Find me something that is devoid of subjectivity produced by the hand of man. Subjectivity is an integral part of any filmmaking. What you are thinking of is called reporting and I daresay that is subjective as well. What to point the camera at, for instance.

Who to believe... random slashdotter or Cannes Film Board.

I'll believe #2.

Just because you don't like a documentary, does not invalidate its status as such. It is irrelevant what you believe this film is. It fulfills the criteria of documentary filmmaking by every serious critical film body. Or let me guess, its a vast (French!) left-wing conspiracy?

A film can be in or out of the official competition. The list of films in each category hasn't been announced yet for this year, but if Star Wars has to be shown, it won't be in competition.

The Cannes jury did not think it was a simple documentary.

Whether the French do or do not hate America is irrelevant to the Cannes prize.

The jury was presided by an American (Quentin Trantino). Members were two more Americans, one Belgian, one British, one Chinese, and two unknown.

The French, and Europeans in general, are very grateful to the Americans for liberating them in the two WWs. Even the younger are aware of that.

The problem is that in the last 50+ years (mainy during the cold war), things have changed, and America actively supported or put into power about all non-communist dictators, even when it required overthrowing democratically elected governments.

So the Europeans slowly learned that the country which once liberated them had changed...

The NYT link requires registration. Why not use the primary source?