Variety-Toronto Film Fest fare beating the Bushies

[LiviaOlivia]

Fest fare beating the Bushies
Political pix, rhetoric in play at Toronto
By BRENDAN KELLY
Posted: Tue., Sep. 14, 2004, 6:16pm PT


TORONTO -- The U.S. presidential election campaign made its presence felt at the Toronto Film Festival Tuesday. Sean Penn, here to tubthump his starring role in "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," slammed George W. Bush at a news conference and underlined the parallels between the film's story and today's politics.

Further talk about the American election came at the world preem of "Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry," helmer George Butler's look at his friend's Vietnam experience.

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Many observers noted it is appropriate that the Kerry Vietnam doc "Going Upriver" is preeming in Canada, given the country's reputation as a hotbed for anti-Vietnam War protest. ThinkFilm, which is launching the pic in the U.S. Oct. 1, hopes the doc will become an important part of the bitter debate over Kerry's Vietnam tour of duty.

The pic chronicles how Kerry went from being a decorated war hero in Vietnam to a high-profile antiwar activist after his return from duty. It is a sympathetic portrait of Kerry, which will clearly not endear the pic to Bush supporters.

link: http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=toronto2004&content=jump&jump=story&articleid=VR1117910420&head=news
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