Bush Assassination Movie Wins Award at Toronto Film Festival

September 17th, 2006 9:50 PM

Reuters reported on Saturday (hat tip to Drudge) that the controversial British film about the assassination of President Bush actually won a critics’ choice award at the Toronto Film Festival. I imagine you’re all surprised:

"Death of a President," which stirred controversy in the days ahead of the festival, took home the Fipresci prize, which is chosen by international critics. The film, a fictional documentary showing the assassination of President Bush, was noted by the jury "for the audacity with which it distorts reality to reveal a larger truth."

See, now that’s exactly what moviegoers want these days: a film that distorts reality to reveal a larger truth. Of course, in a disturbing sort of way, that’s better than the normal media blathering which distorts reality to reveal a tapestry of lies in order to further the goals of one of the nation's major political parties. But, I digress:

Accepting the award, British director Gabriel Range said he was encouraged the film had recently signed a U.S. distribution deal. "I hope that's proof that people can see beyond the premise and see that it's a film about this post 9/11 world we live in," he said at a ceremony.

See beyond the premise? You created a film about the assassination of the most powerful man in the world who just so happens to be a close ally of your country’s prime minister, and you hope that people are going to see beyond this? Couldn’t this point have been made just as strongly using a fictionalized character that isn’t still alive and still in power, or is that beyond your creative aptitude?