The 411 on 911 in Seoul- Michael Moore’s 911 Call to Seoul Gets an Answer

Last weekend was the first weekend of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911 in Seoul, Korea. Seeing the film debut in Seoul was of great interest for many cinemaphiles, as no one knew if the film would resonate with an Asian audience. Though the execution of a South Korea national in Iraq shocked the nation a couple of months previously, it remained to be seen if Moore’s message would translate.

The result was a sold out weekend to audiences in Seoul. Many were entertained by the Korean translation of the comments by Bush, laughing at several scenes where Bush was portrayed as a vacationing president that had more interest in playing golf than running the United States. At Techno Mart in Seoul one male viewer expressed,” I almost cried. I cannot believe this movie, but I must accept it.” Others simply commented that it was a fascinating film considered it an important film. Many expressed that they would recommend it to friends.

One Korean-American, who identified himself as a Republican, claimed that the documentary was biased due to the presentation of the electoral process as flawed. When questioned further, he confided that the electoral process was fool proof, and prevented idiots from getting elected to office. “After all,” he explained,” we don’t want uneducated people running the country.”

While it remains to be seen if Fahrenheit 911 will have an effect on voters in the United States this November, it certainly left Korean audiences with skepticism over democracy in America, as well as the war on Iraq.