Michael Moore has been a fan of Canada ever since he mailed a VHS copy of his first documentary, 鈥淩oger & Me,鈥� in a plain brown paper bag to the Vancouver International Film Festival and it went on to win a top prize.
So the filmmaker, who has long viewed America鈥檚 northern neighbour as a more decent, humanitarian version of his home country, says it was 鈥渃rushing鈥� to see photographs of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau made up in blackface.
鈥淲e鈥檙e living with (President Donald) Trump and we look to the north with such envy. You don鈥檛 have to live with Trump. You have a man who greets refugees at the airport. You have someone who speaks with kindness and compassion. We don鈥檛 have any of that,鈥� said Moore.
鈥淪o Trudeau, despite whatever flaws or problems there are with him, you only have to look south to see just how bad it could be.鈥�
Moore was in Vancouver to attend a special event at the city鈥檚 film festival honouring the 30-year anniversary of 鈥淩oger & Me鈥� on Saturday. In an interview Friday, Moore reflected on how the themes of the film still resonate in 2019 and offered his thoughts on the latest bombshells in American and Canadian politics.
Trudeau has apologized for wearing skin-darkening makeup in the 1990s and early 2000s, including on one instance where he was dressed like Aladdin. Trudeau has said although he didn鈥檛 think it was racist at the time, he now sees that it was.
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Moore said his first thought when he saw the Trudeau photos was: 鈥淲hat is wrong with white people?鈥�
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 stealing black peoples鈥� music, whether it鈥檚 taking the best comedy 鈥� African-American comedians 鈥� you go down the whole list of things that are appropriated from people of colour and this is a long and sad tradition,鈥� he said.
Moore noted he didn鈥檛 like anyone interfering in American elections and he didn鈥檛 want to interfere in Canada鈥檚. But he said he felt sad about Canadians鈥� choices, even though the country does have the 鈥淣DP, which is rockin鈥� on as far as I鈥檓 concerned.鈥�
鈥淵ou have an election in a couple of weeks and you basically have a choice between Aladdin and an American. I think on balance, advantage Aladdin. Right?鈥� he quipped, referencing the recent revelation that Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen.
Scheer has said he鈥檚 in the process of renouncing his American citizenship but Moore joked that the move wasn鈥檛 necessary.
鈥淚 think the best thing I can do while I鈥檓 here in Canada is escort Mr. Scheer back to his country and try to tell him to quit saying that word 鈥榬enounce.鈥� 鈥� Don鈥檛 let Americans hear they鈥檙e being renounced. We can鈥檛 take it anymore. We鈥檙e going through enough already.鈥�
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The Vancouver International Film Festival was set to screen 鈥淩oger & Me鈥� and host an on-stage discussion with Moore. The film chronicles Moore鈥檚 dogged efforts to interview General Motors CEO Roger Smith about the damage done in Flint, Mich., because of the company鈥檚 mass factory closures.
Flint is Moore鈥檚 hometown and he acknowledged sadly that the situation has gotten worse in the past three decades. The number of GM workers in the city has dwindled and the city鈥檚 cost-cutting measures led to tainted drinking water, he noted.
鈥淚f you lived in Flint now, you鈥檇 look at 鈥楻oger & Me鈥� and go, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 the Flint I鈥檇 like to live in.鈥� Isn鈥檛 that sad?鈥�
Michigan was among the states Trump visited during the 2016 campaign with promises to restore manufacturing jobs. Despite his vows, the Rust Belt is still losing jobs, with GM announcing plans last November to close five plants in the U.S. and Canada.
Moore said Trump 鈥減layed鈥� the working class in the Midwest.
鈥淭rump did go into Michigan and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and over and over again said, 鈥業鈥檓 going to tax the rich. Those hedge fund guys, they鈥檙e not paying their fair share. I鈥檓 going to bring these jobs back.鈥�
鈥淚f anybody would say that to people who have suffered in the Midwest, that鈥檚 going to sound good.鈥�
Moore also wisecracked about the impeachment inquiry launched by the Democrats in the House of Representatives, pointing out Trump has openly told the media that he asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son.
鈥淲ho needs an inquiry? What鈥檚 there to inquire? He did it. He admitted he did it. He has to be impeached.
鈥淚 tweeted last night that I just went downstairs to throw another load in the laundry and I came back up and he was still president. What鈥檚 going on here?鈥�
Laura Kane, The Canadian Press
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