In "Manufacturing Dissent", a new documentary made by husband and wife team Rick Caine and Debbie Melnyk, Michael Moore's documentary practices are brought into question. While the couple set out to discredit Moore, they do concede the industry owes a lot to his films. Melnyk said:

What he's done for documentaries is amazing...People go to see documentaries now and, as documentary makers, we're grateful."

During the creation of their own documentary they found themselves in a very isolated place, as people could not understand why they would want to put Michael Moore under the microscope.

From this author's perspective, I am all in favour of documentarian rhetoric, and eagerly await the release of this film here in Australia. But I can't help but wonder if this is nothing more than a clever way to make a quick buck. Any documentary that opposes Michael Moore's work is guaranteed major exposure and consequently bums on seats.

Add to the that, Moore makes no apologies for his bias. He is an agenda driven film maker fighting for the little guy, and there is nothing wrong with that. All his films have the heart in the right place because they are intended for good - not evil.

Anyone is free to make documentaries opposing Moore's views, but that said I can't recall any documentaries that are in favour of more guns (opposing Bowling for Columbine), favour the war in Iraq (opposing Fahrenheit 911) or in favour of higher medical insurance premiums (opposing Sicko).

I will add a cautionary note and speculate Caine and Melnyk probably want the same as Moore - a healthier, cleaner, safer America. But hey, why not discredit the most popular messenger along the way?

• Links: Manufacturing Dissent web site (with trailer).
• Further reading: Turning the lens on Michael Moore.