A full house for 'Divided'

OREM — It's the film about the filmmaker, and about 500 curious people descended on Utah Valley State College to get a sneak peek.

"This Divided State" — a documentary about the events surrounding the UVSC visit of "Fahrenheit 911" filmmaker Michael Moore — was screened for the first time Thursday night in the college's Ragan Theater.

"I'm just curious, you know. It was such a big part of my life," student body president Jim Bassi said before the screening. "I don't know what to expect."

Bassi was partly responsible for bringing Moore to campus and subsequently inviting conservative talk radio host Sean Hannity to appease other points of view. Bassi also was the target of an unsuccessful effort to oust him from student government.

"This Divided State" presents chronologically the rallies, debates and protests for and against the visits by Moore and Hannity in October, just prior to the November presidential election.

Many on campus and in the community were upset that student money was spent on Moore, who they argued does not represent the opinions of the majority of the community — considered one of the most conservative and Republican areas of the country.

Moore has been unapologetically critical of the president and the Iraq war.

"It's a matter of public interest. It's a matter of public record. It's a matter of intense controversy," said Alan Clarke, a professor of integrated studies at UVSC. "I want to see it."

The film's director, former Brigham Young University film student Steven Greenstreet, opted against using narration in the documentary and believes it presents the controversial event in an unbiased manner.

"It has as many opinions as people in it," said Philip Gordon, chairman of UVSC's communications department. Students in a class Gordon created that was focused on the controversy and who were also filming Moore-related events ultimately teamed up with Greenstreet on the project.

Landon Smith, a junior at UVSC majoring in communications, was anxious to see the film.

"Maybe to kind of relive it," Smith said. "Last semester was fun, all the fights in the halls, the rallies. I want to see all the footage they took."

By Tuesday, the 400 seats in the theater were sold out. An additional 100 seats in a spill-over area also sold out, Greenstreet said.