The late Nigerian playwright; poet, novelist and minority right activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa once remarked that an artist must be relevant to his or her society. "An artiste whose work does not affect the society is useless", Saro-Wiwa insisted.

The plight of the American suffering majority is undoubtedly the spur of the latest feature film release of Michael Moore which was premiered for the international media in the morning of Saturday, May 19 at the Grand Theatre Lumiere in Cannes.

The 123 minutes film, with more as the lead-narrator exposes the fraud, the rot, the pretension and hypocrisy of the American system as far as the health system is concerned. Sicko in a detailed, explicit documentary expose the plight of American majority without access to free universal healthcare system as it obtains in all other western nations.

Parliamentary lobby and buy-off were shown as the national wealth was handed over to the health insurance scheme that turned out to be a big scam with few of the parliamentary leaving the Congress later to head the big drug companies. The preoccupation of the health insurance scheme is to evade cost and payment with the slightest excuse available, while doctors, who held save cost without attending to patients, get more money. The health situation became worse, patients who cannot afford to pay hospital bills were dropped on the streets by hospitals.
Moore embarked on a fact finding mission in other countries and discovered to his chagrin that medical services are absolutely free in the UK, where money is even given out to patient who do not have transport fare to take them home. The practice in France is similar to that of Britain, with house call by doctors and the French government even sending people twice a week to private home to help nursing mothers with laundry.

Sicko reveals successive American governments that talk from both sides of the mouth. Even volunteers for the September 11 were ignored, rejected and unattended to for a ridiculous reason of not being government employees.

Ironically, detainees at the American detention camp in Cuba, Guantanamo Base, get the best health treatment, including surgery, free of char, with most modern equipment. Out of frustration, Moore in the real-life-story film put together some September 11 volunteers, who have been denied medical care by the American government, and headed straight to Guantanamo Base to ensure they have the same benefit as American "enemies and evil doers" who are detained in the camp.

The result was predictable; Moore and his team were turned back. Where else to go? The group headed for Cuban hospitals. Americans who have been told evil things about Cuba "for about 45 years" found out that in every block in Cuba there is a doctor and a chemist. They got their treatment free of charge. The prescribed drugs were scandalously cheaper than what obtained back in America. For example, an inhaler that sold for $1, 200 US dollars went for 50 cents in Cuba. The Cuban Fire Service invited and honoured the September 11 volunteers when they hear they were in town. The same volunteers rejected by America.

The health system today in US, as depicted in the film, is so bad to the extent that almost all other western nations have life-expectancy higher than the "God's own" USA!

The coherence of the story line, the occasional interjections of humour, the music and effects reconfirms Moore as a master of the craft. The emotion-laden film moved the over 3, 000 journalist at the screening to tears; many were seen wiping tears off their faces even after the screening, even as the give a wild applause.

There is no doubt that the American government would not like what they are going to see in Sicken. The revelation is sickening and the health industry which accounts for about 15 per cent of America's GDP may spend the rest of the year defending the industry and attacking Michael Moore. This film is a must watch for everybody. It would be interesting to find out how the Jury would be able to cope with the deep emotions inherent in Sicko.

Tunde Oladunjoye
Cannes, France