Less than ten minutes before the speaker was to begin, there were more students laughing in the hallway than there were sitting and waiting for filmmaker Michael Wilson to speak in the multi-purpose room in the Union.

Mimicking an iconic photo of an Iraqi prisoner forced to pose at Abu Ghraib, a protester stood outside the room bare-legged in a black shroud with arms outstretched. Students pointed and laughed at the anti-war protester who held a sign that read “This is not freedom from oppression.”

The protester revealed her identity only after the crowd cleared to settle before the presentation. The shrouded woman was Debbie Dalke, a Bowling Green resident who has no affiliation with the University. Dalke said her intention was to protest the war in Iraq and last evening’s event.

Filmmaker Michael Wilson spoke yesterday about his latest project, a documentary called “Michael Moore Hates America.”

“But Michael Moore loves America,” Dalke said. “Michael Moore hates torture. Michael Moore hates oppression. Clearly what we’re doing in Iraq is not freeing Iraqis.”

Wilson opened his talk with a nod to Dalke.

“Did you guys see that I had a protester tonight?” Wilson said, smiling.

He showed clips of his film and answered audience questions. Wilson’s film did not address U.S. policy, nor did it take a stance on the war in Iraq.

“I myself have mixed emotions about [the Iraq war] at times,” Wilson Said.

Later, Wilson asked protester Dalke if she had seen his film. Dalke said that she had not watched it.

“Michael Moore [and his films,] it gets people like you all riled up,” Wilson said. “And you come out here and you stand out here and you do your thing, right? It’s cool, and I love that. But I’m just saying that [Moore’s] dishonest. He lied. He lied to you.”

The purpose of the film was to challenge Moore’s credibility, Wilson said. The film suggests that Moore misrepresented the facts in films “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

Wilson said he often receives premature liberal protest from folks who, like Dalke, never saw his film. One person later sent an apology to Wilson for a hate letter he had previously sent before watching his film.

“When you come and protest me without understanding what I’m saying, you’re doing a disservice to this big American conversation,” Wilson said. But Wilson called free speech a “beautiful right.”

The film has earned acclaim from conservative independent film festivals, like the American Film Renaissance. Wilson wrote, produced, directed and edited the film with a budget of $150,000, although the Internet movie database mistakenly lists his budget at $250,000, Wilson said.

Wilson’s budget came out of his own pocket by “charging the living sh– out of my credit cards.”

Clearly, this budget was much smaller than Moore’s. Wilson’s film came out in 2004 in response to “Fahrenheit 9/11,” but was not at all as popular. Wilson credits most of the film’s popularity to conservative bloggers who linked to his movie Web site from their blogs.

Given the chance to talk to Michael Moore, Wilson said he knows what he’d say.

“I’d say, ‘Have you seen my movie yet? Did it make you feel different about what you do?'” Wilson said.

The event was organized by members of the College Republicans as part of their Republican Week.

Each day this week until Thursday has a theme. Monday was “Support our troops day,” and yesterday was “anti-Michael Moore day.”

Today at their table in the Union, members will call themselves PETA, a fake group whose invented acronym means “People for Eating Tasty Animals,” and they will pass out beef jerky.

“Hopefully that will bring attention so more people will come [Wednesday],” said Treasurer Jessica Colston.

Although many seats were empty last night in the multi-purpose room with nearly 80 people in attendance for Wilson, College Republicans probably shouldn’t be concerned about tonight’s potential turn-out.

Tonight’s speaker is David Horowitz, who is the popular conservative activist who inspired Ohio Senate Bill 24. Horowitz and Senate Bill 24 have many students and faculty in uproar about the controversial legislation that would regulate classroom speech.

Horowitz will speak at 7:30 p.m. in Olscamp room 101. Copies of Horowitz’s book are sold at the University bookstore. Readers can bring books to have the author sign at 7 p.m. before his presentation.