Michael Moore's anti-Bush documentary gets Cannes glory

US director Michael Moore displays his Palme d'Or, the top prize at the 57th Cannes Film Festival, which he won for his film Farenheit 9/11, as he poses with South African actress Charlize Theron (R), on May 22 in the French Riviera town

The film, which savages US President George W Bush for his invasion of Iraq after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, was awarded the Palme d'Or in a stunning announcement that brought immediate international attention on May 22.

Quentin Tarantino and the other members of this year's Cannes jury were to explain their reasons for giving the film the controversial honour. It was the first documentary to win the Palme d'Or in the award's 29-year history.

Moore, who has accused the White House of seeking to block the film's release in the United States, had to wait until a long standing ovation died down to accept the prize. He dedicated the trophy to his 22-year-old daughter and 'to all the children in America, and in Iraq and around the world who have suffered from our actions.'

The documentary, which premiered at the Cannes festival, examines the period from Bush's 2000 election, through the September 11 attacks and the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq.

A White House spokesperson, Suzy DeFrancis, tried to shrug off the decision to honour the documentary.

'It's a free country. It's what makes America great. Everyone has the right to say what they want. And beyond that, we're not going to comment,' she told AFP by telephone.

The Cannes recognition of Fahrenheit 9/11, said Moore, 'will ensure that the American people will see this movie.’