When Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore's birthday trip to Rome was canceled, he decided to take a trip to the next best city - Charleston.
Coincidentally, on Moore's 62nd birthday, the West Virginia International Film Festival was showing Moore's film, "Where to Invade Next," at the LaBelle Theater in South Charleston.
Moore was originally supposed to attend the Italian premiere of his movie, but the premiere was pushed back.
Moore's friends arranged for him to be at the showing of the movie, which surprised both Moore and audience members.
Moore, who has been sick with pneumonia, said the Saturday night showing was the first time he was able to watch the movie in a theater.
On Sunday, Moore returned to the theater for the 3 p.m. showing, where audience members met him with a standing ovation followed with the song "Happy Birthday."
Members of the West Virginia International Film Festival presented Moore a birthday cake and a bag filled with pepperoni rolls and other West Virginia-themed goods.
"I could live here," Moore told the audience at the theater. "I look normal here."
He said two of the first things that popped up when he Googled what to do in Charleston were Wal-Mart and Hooters. Moore said West Virginia needs to change that. He spent his time in the Mountain State at the New River Gorge and Taylor Books.
"There's a lot more to do here than Wal-Mart and Hooters," Moore said.
Moore applauded WVIFF for holding the festival. He said events like these help inform the public and prevent the dumbing down of America.
"One of the ways to pick away at that ignorance and that fear is having things like this film festival that bring movies from around the world to expose people in Charleston, West Virginia to other ways that other people live and other ideas people have, and just all the great things that art does," Moore said.
Emmett Pepper, president of the film festival, said he was shocked when Moore came to the movie on Saturday.
"It really does capture what we try to do, to have not just a screening of a film, but to discuss a film and give more context and depth to it," Pepper said. "Of course, having the filmmaker is the gold standard."
Gary Zuckett, executive director of West Virginia Citizen Action Group, said he was flabbergasted by Moore's attendance.
West Virginia Citizen Action Group sponsored the screening of the film, and Zuckett said he had invited Moore to the screening, but didn't think he would come.
"We're very pleased that serendipity worked out for him to be here," Zuckett said.
Zuckett said he was looking forward to a hopefully "robust" conversation between the audience and Moore after the screening.
"If people viewing the movie want to see some of Michael's suggestions implemented, then I encourage them to become active citizens and look us up on Facebook and volunteer to make this a better place," Zuckett said.
Reach Laura Haight at laura.haight@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @laurahaight_ on Twitter.
