THIS DIVIDED STATE
Directed, Produced & Edited by: Steven Greenstreet.
Director of Photography: Matt Eastin, Wes Eldredge, Steven Greenstreet & Josh Ligiari.
Released by: The Disinformation Company.
Country of Origin: USA. 88 min. Not Rated.

This documentary begins with these startling statistics: 75% of Utah is Mormon, Republicans outnumber Democrats 12 to 1 in Utah County, which includes Orem, a city with a church on almost every block. Despite this overwhelming concentration of Mormons, the sign for the Church of Latter Day Saints reads "Visitors Welcome." The underlying theme of the movie questions whether or not all visitors are actually welcome.

When Brigham Young University student Steven Greenstreet learned that Utah Valley State College had invited filmmaker Michael Moore to speak two weeks before the 2004 presidential election, he dropped out of school, quit his job, and headed for the college to film what would evolve into a vigorous debate that extended way beyond campus, penetrating deeply into the community of Orem.

Vociferous protests against Moore's speech arise, led on campus by student Shawn Vreeland, and in the community by local millionaire and Sunday school teacher Kay Anderson. As a result, the school invites neoconservative Fox News pundit Sean Hannity to speak just a few days before Moore's scheduled speech. The "Moore War" is well underway.

The film defies the assumption that there is no "blue" in Utah: just as many students and professors welcomed Moore's visit - because they either shared similar views or believed in the freedom of speech - as protested his visit. As it exposes Utah's "blue," it reveals that Utah's "red" is even "redder" than might have been imagined. "Moore should be tried for treason and executed," yells a caller on the local public radio station.

This Divided State is a pure exposé, with no apparent driving political agenda. The film has deeper themes than just the notion of an ideological war, demonstrating intimately how people react when they feel their beliefs and values are threatened. It also reveals the immortal spirit of youth and academics - that which challenges and accepts challenges - is alive and well in the heart of Utah. Timothy Small
August 19, 2005