Michael Moore Did Not Visit Prison To Film Icelandic Bankers

An Icelandic member of Michael Moore’s film crew says they did not visit Kvíabryggja prison in order to film the convicted bankers there.

Filmmaker Ísold Uggadóttir, who was a part of Michael Moore’s film crew during his visit to Iceland, told RÚV that the American documentarian did not visit Kvíabryggja prison for the express purpose of filming the convicted Kaupthing bankers currently doing time there.

Ísold contends that the subject of this part of the filming had been the prison itself. While the producers did want to interview one of the jailed Kaupthing bankers, Sigurður Einarsson, that request was denied. While she could not say if any of the other prisoners interviewed discussed the Kaupthing convicts, she added that a prison employee followed the film crew every step of the way.

As reported, Magnús Guðmundsson, Ólafur Ólafsson and Sigurður Einarsson, all of whom are currently doing time in Kvíabryggja prison for market manipulation and fraud, have filed a formal complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudsman about the matter.

Amongst their complaints is that Moore had filmed them without their permission, as a part of his latest movie, Where To Invade Next. The three contend Moore was given special permission to visit the prison, where he conducted some filming and spoke with other prisoners.

Director of the Icelandic Prison Service Páll Winkel has until February 1 to respond to the Ombudsman about these accusations.