A sickening event took place this past Friday and the crowd that gathered around it cheered as they snapped pictures.
But this wasn’t the scene of a gruesome crime, and the people weren’t blood-thirsty voyeurs.
The event was the London debut of Sicko, and hundreds of fans surrounded the red carpet outside the Silvercity at Masonville Place as director Michael Moore made his way towards the theatre.
“It’s really an honour to be here,” said Moore, speaking to reporters. “This is where my family is originally from. My grandfather was born just west of here,” the director said as he explained the reason behind why he chose London to screen the film.
“I wanted this movie to begin where my family began,” he said. “And frankly, I also wanted to see just how much of this Toronto press would actually drive to London,” Moore joked. Several Toronto reporters did, in fact, make the trip.
In addition to that, Sicko was partly shot in London. The film criticizes America’s lack of public health care. And for comparison, it highlights instances of medical treatment given to patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital as an example of Canada’s health care system.
Dressed semi-casually in a jacket-and-jeans combo, Moore continued up the red carpet in his New Balance running shoes to another group of microphone-holders. This time, he took the opportunity to underline a key issue for Canadian viewers of his film.
“I hope they will see the importance of preserving what is a great system,” said Moore, although he did stress the fact that it still needed more funding. “But I think this movie will act as a great warning to the great Canadian public not to go the American way.”
As applause broke out over the ever-growing crowd, Moore was ushered towards the theatre doors but stopped short of the entrance to speak to a wheelchair-bound woman who was holding a sign that said “London healthcare saved my life and all I had to pay for was parking.”
Moore listened quietly as the woman, Larissa Gerow, told him her survival story.
She was hit by a truck four years ago while riding her bike and suffered a broken neck. Medics arrived at the scene within minutes. She believes she would have died if they hadn’t gotten there are quickly as they did.
The injury left her confined to a wheelchair, but she’s very grateful to the health care system that saved her life, a system that continues to provide her with the care she needs.
“And how much did that cost you?” asked Moore.
“Nothing,” was Gerow’s simple answer. “Well, my parents paid for parking.”
Moore smiled and replied “I’m so honoured to have you here.”
Afterwards, he got the whole crowd cheering by shouting out “Canadians” as he entered the theatre doors, getting ready to introduce his film to the night’s select audience.
Moore’s co-host for the evening, Canada AM film critic Richard Crouse, was also on hand. Having seen the film earlier that day, Crouse offered up his two cents. “I walked out and kissed the ground, happy to be a Canadian,” he said.
As an end to the red-carpet Q-and-A, Moore turned down an offer to apply for Canadian citizenship, but said “you’re all welcome to come to our country.”
And although he had earlier declined to tell the media about his next documentary subject, Moore laughingly added a comment that could be taken as a clue into what that issue might be. “We have wonderful immigration policies.”
But this wasn’t the scene of a gruesome crime, and the people weren’t blood-thirsty voyeurs.
The event was the London debut of Sicko, and hundreds of fans surrounded the red carpet outside the Silvercity at Masonville Place as director Michael Moore made his way towards the theatre.
“It’s really an honour to be here,” said Moore, speaking to reporters. “This is where my family is originally from. My grandfather was born just west of here,” the director said as he explained the reason behind why he chose London to screen the film.
“I wanted this movie to begin where my family began,” he said. “And frankly, I also wanted to see just how much of this Toronto press would actually drive to London,” Moore joked. Several Toronto reporters did, in fact, make the trip.
In addition to that, Sicko was partly shot in London. The film criticizes America’s lack of public health care. And for comparison, it highlights instances of medical treatment given to patients at St. Joseph’s Hospital as an example of Canada’s health care system.
Dressed semi-casually in a jacket-and-jeans combo, Moore continued up the red carpet in his New Balance running shoes to another group of microphone-holders. This time, he took the opportunity to underline a key issue for Canadian viewers of his film.
“I hope they will see the importance of preserving what is a great system,” said Moore, although he did stress the fact that it still needed more funding. “But I think this movie will act as a great warning to the great Canadian public not to go the American way.”
As applause broke out over the ever-growing crowd, Moore was ushered towards the theatre doors but stopped short of the entrance to speak to a wheelchair-bound woman who was holding a sign that said “London healthcare saved my life and all I had to pay for was parking.”
Moore listened quietly as the woman, Larissa Gerow, told him her survival story.
She was hit by a truck four years ago while riding her bike and suffered a broken neck. Medics arrived at the scene within minutes. She believes she would have died if they hadn’t gotten there are quickly as they did.
The injury left her confined to a wheelchair, but she’s very grateful to the health care system that saved her life, a system that continues to provide her with the care she needs.
“And how much did that cost you?” asked Moore.
“Nothing,” was Gerow’s simple answer. “Well, my parents paid for parking.”
Moore smiled and replied “I’m so honoured to have you here.”
Afterwards, he got the whole crowd cheering by shouting out “Canadians” as he entered the theatre doors, getting ready to introduce his film to the night’s select audience.
Moore’s co-host for the evening, Canada AM film critic Richard Crouse, was also on hand. Having seen the film earlier that day, Crouse offered up his two cents. “I walked out and kissed the ground, happy to be a Canadian,” he said.
As an end to the red-carpet Q-and-A, Moore turned down an offer to apply for Canadian citizenship, but said “you’re all welcome to come to our country.”
And although he had earlier declined to tell the media about his next documentary subject, Moore laughingly added a comment that could be taken as a clue into what that issue might be. “We have wonderful immigration policies.”
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