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Nike, filmmaker wage war
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April 22, 1998: 3:59 p.m. ET
Sneaker maker, Michael Moore lock horns on the Internet over new film
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - "The Big One" -- the new motion picture from maverick filmmaker Michael Moore -- has set off not only a war of words but also a war of websites.
The movie, released last week through Walt Disney Co.'s Miramax Films unit, includes two separate interviews with Nike Inc.'s Chief Executive Phil Knight -- the only CEO to appear on camera -- discussing his company's labor practices in Indonesia.
This week, Miramax and Dog Eat Dog Films -- Moore's New York-based production house -- established a website (www.dogeatdogfilms.com) with outtakes from the feature-length film. The site was set up to counter claims made by Nike.
"Nike is clearly attacking Michael rather than owning up to their wrongdoings. They are lashing out," said Tia Lessin, coordinating producer of the feature-length documentary.
When the Beaverton, Ore.-based athletic footwear maker learned of Moore's portrayal of Knight in March, Nike launched a publicity campaign placing segments of the interview filmed by a second, in-house camera crew on the www.nikebiz.com website.
(1.4M QuickTime)
The clips on Nike's website show Moore complimenting Knight as the "good guy" in Corporate America and describe how the filmmaker declined an invitation to tour the company's facilities in Indonesia with Knight.
However, Lessin explained that Nike invited Moore to travel to Indonesia only on the condition that no cameras be brought. In addition, Dog Eat Dog said Nike quoted Moore out of context.
"The website is Michael's response to the lies and half truths and distortions that Nike has put out on its web page," Lessin said. Dog Eat Dog and Miramax have countered with its own outtake clips of the movie. (7.7M QuickTime)
Through a spokesman, Nike acknowledged the company's labor practice of hiring 14-year-old workers in its apparel plants in accordance with Indonesia's minimum age requirements.
But Knight misunderstood his own company's policy of maintaining a voluntary minimum age of 16 in its footwear plants.
In fact, Nike's Director of Labor Practices Dusty Kidd needed to brief Knight on the company's labor practices in the midst of Moore's interview. (1.2M QuickTime)
"Should Phil have been aware of that before the interview with Michael Moore? Yes. He misspoke and we have readily said that," said Vada Manager, company spokesman.
-- by staff writer Robert Liu
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