Moore opened the door for filmmaker pals

Reticker also sees Moore as a kindred spirit, while acknowledging satire isn't her specialty.

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell," which took top documentary honors at the Tribeca Film Festival, is a straightforward and uplifting chronicle of the Christian and Muslim women's movement that ended civil war in Liberia and helped elect the African nation's first female president.

"Those of us who work with Michael believe in a lot of the same things — the desire to look at things in a different way, to look at issues that aren't in the mainstream media," Reticker said.

"Bigger, Stronger, Faster" bears close resemblance to a Moore movie, as director Christopher Bell narrates a funny yet sad romp through the underworld of illegal steroid use by athletes and bodybuilders — including himself and his two brothers.

But it's different in at least one respect: Instead of Moore-like outrage, the tone is more neutral, leaving viewers to decide whether juicing in pursuit of the all-American dream of being No. 1 is really so bad.

Engfehr, 46, co-producer of the film as well as "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11," said he's a believer in making points through real-life characters and events.

Some of the most effective messages in films "are ones that arise naturally as the result of telling good stories," he said.

Pollock, youngest of the "peeps," was Moore's personal assistant for nearly three years before leaving to make his own movies.

His debut film, "The Youngest Candidate," follows four teenagers who ran for city council or mayor in recent elections. Their cities are different but similar obstacles confront them, from condescending opponents to dirty tricks such as theft of campaign signs.

Although his views are as left-wing as Moore's, Pollock strikes a nonpartisan tone. The underlying premise — youth people should get involved in politics — is uncontroversial. And Pollock stays in the background, while Moore frequently takes center stage in his pictures.

Still, Moore's influence is there. As 19-year-old Ytit Chauhan campaigns for councilman in Atlantic City, N.J., he's approached by several white youths. One asks Chauhan, who is of Indian descent, to lift his shirt. Pollock, smelling a rat, swings the camera toward the youth and casually asks why he made the request.

The youth's candid response: Because I'm afraid he's carrying a bomb.

Pollock figures the revealing exchange might not have happened if he'd come on too strongly. While some might identify Moore with bullhorns and bombast, Pollock says he learned from his mentor that a simple "How come?" is sometimes the most effective way to expose a villain.

Still seeking a distributor, Pollock plans a tour of college campuses with his film this fall — after a screening at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Eventually, he wants to make scripted movies as well as documentaries.

"But after working for Michael, I'll never make a film that doesn't say something about our society. He showed me that art has no point if you're not going to try to have a positive effect on the world."

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