Jill Reilly, Daniel Bates and Lydia Warren
DailyMail.co.uk
One big fraud? Questions over whether ‘$5million’ film that portrayed Mohammed as a pedophile and womanizer AND the producer behind it are fake
- ‘Innocence of Muslims’ led to protests across Egypt and Libya on Tuesday
- Producer claimed he was an Israeli Jew living in California named Sam Bacile
- But film’s consultant, Steve Klein, said the man was using a pseudonym
- Amid concerns over the filmmakers’ safety, Klein: ‘I sleep with a 12 gauge shotgun by me and my wife sleeps with a 38 caliber pistol next to her’
- Also doubts over veracity of film after poorly dubbed scenes and editing
- Cast and crew distanced themselves from film saying they were ‘misled’
- Speculation Bacile could be Morris Sadek, an anti-Islamic Epytian
A search is on for the man behind the ‘blasphemous’ film that branded Mohammed a fraud, a pedophile and a womaniser and sparked deadly protests after records apparently reveal he does not exist.
Questions have also arisen about the veracity of the film itself after a trailer shows it is poorly over-dubbed and edited – despite claims it cost $5 million to make.
The producer, whose movie led to demonstrations that left the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other American officials dead on Tuesday, has previously claimed he was an Israeli Jew named Sam Bacile living in California.
But his identity began to crumble as it emerged Israeli authorities had no records of him being a citizen, and there were no property, phone, license or court records of Bacile in California.
He also has virtually no footprint in the Hollywood community, has no agent listed on IMDBPro and no credits on any film or TV production.
Steve Klein, a consultant for the film, told the National that Bacile is not Israeli or Jewish and is in fact working under a pseudonym – but he does not know the man’s real name.
It raises questions over the real identity of the man behind the ‘offensive’ film and his motives for creating a movie that promised to spark outrage – and death.
And it appears he fooled the 80 cast and crew members who worked on the film, Innocence of Muslims, who claimed in a statement that they were misled by the producer.
‘The entire cast and crew are extremely upset and feel taken advantage of by the producer,’ they said. ‘We are 100% not behind this film and were grossly misled about its intent and purpose.
‘We are shocked by the drastic re-writes of the script and lies that were told to all involved. We are deeply saddened by the tragedies that have occurred.’
Fury: The US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, right, died amid violent protests against the film
‘Bacile’ claimed the two-hour movie cost $5 million and was financed with the help of more than 100 Jewish donors, who believe the film will help his native land by exposing Islam’s flaws to the world.
Yet the film’s trailer, which is on YouTube, show poor production values that call that tall expenditure into question.
Klein, who works as a Christian activist in California, said ‘Bacile’ contacted him with help on the film as he leads anti-Islam protests. ‘The Middle East Christian and Jewish communities trust me,’ he said.
Related articles
- Latest On The Anti-Muslim Filmmakers That Sparked Mid East Violence (deadline.com)
- ‘Jewish’ director of Prophet Muhammed film ‘Sam Bacile’ may be alias of Egyptian fraud convict (standard.co.uk)
- Does the Anti-Mohammed Film Exist? Does the Producer Exist? (reason.com)
- Questions swirl around Muhammad film (wptv.com)
- Doubts about anti-Muslim film’s makers (cbsnews.com)
- The Movie the Muslim World Is Furious About Might Not Even Be a Movie (theatlanticwire.com)
- HOT: Is There Really a Sam Bacile? (economicpolicyjournal.com)
- Mohammed Movie’s Mystery Director – The Daily Beast (thedailybeast.com)
- Does ‘Innocence of Muslims’ director Sam Bacile really exist? (thestar.com)
- Media baffled by supposed filmmaker (politico.com)
