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Michael Moore has boarded Palestine’s Oscar entry From Ground Zero as an executive producer ahead of a theatrical release on Jan. 3 by Watermelon Pictures.
The project, shortlisted for the upcoming Academy Awards in the best international feature film category, is a collection of 22 films by Palestinian filmmakers completed while impacted by the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
“These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle. They have made a brilliant film in the midst of what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have now declared a genocide,” Moore said in a statement on Monday.
The anthology of documentary, fiction and animated films was spearheaded by Gaza-born Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi and his Masharawi Fund for local films and filmmakers.
“The only weapons that Rashid and these 22 courageous Palestinian directors in Gaza have are their cameras and their creativity. No filmmaker, writer or artist should ever have to tell the story of their own extermination. It’s an honor to stand in solidarity with them and help share their stories with the world,” Moore added.
Known for his documentaries and a signature storytelling, Moore’s credits include his Oscar-winning film Bowling for Columbine, the Cannes Palme d’Or-winning Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko, about the U.S. healthcare system.
The From Ground Zero film collection comprises work by Wissam Moussa, Nidal Damo, Ahmed Hassouna, Alaa Ayoub, Karim Satoum, Bashar Al Babisi, Khamis Masharawi, Nida’A Abu Hasna, Tamer Nijim, Ahmed Al Danaf, Rima Mahmoud, Muhammad Al Sharif, Basil El Maqousi, Mustafa Al Nabih, Rabab Khamis, Mustafa Kulab, Alaa Damo, Hana Eleiwa, Mahdi Kreirah, Aws Al Banna, Islam Al Zeriei and Etimad Washah.
Director Masharawi thanked Moore for getting behind the film’s Oscar campaign. “The team is both humbled and thrilled to be shortlisted. With Michael Moore’s involvement, we are even more empowered to portray the humanity and resilience of Palestinians, share their creativity with the world, and showcase the power of cinema as a force for justice and understanding,” he said in his own statement.
Variety was the first to report on Michael Moore boarding the From Ground Zero film.
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