Michael Moore sprays ‘Flint water’ at Michigan Capitol

Lansing – Filmmaker and liberal provocateur Michael Moore made a brief stop Friday at the Michigan Capitol, using a hose from a large “Flint water” truck to spray water in the direction of the historic building.

Surrounded by a film crew, Moore directed from in front of multiple cameras, setting up shots for a future project that he and crews declined to discuss. The Flint native has been a vocal critic of how Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration handled the city’s water contamination crisis.

“Gov. Snyder, drink the water,” Moore said at one point, holding up a glass as he faced the Capitol, which sits on the opposite side of the street from Snyder’s actual office.

The governor, who is on a trade mission to Europe this week, recently ended free bottled water service in Flint, citing nearly two years of testing data showing tap water lead levels below the federal action limit.

Two years ago, Snyder said he would drink filtered Flint water for a month to show it was safe. Former President Barack Obama also drank filtered Flint water during a stop in the city in 2016.

But many Flint residents say they do not trust the water or government officials who initially told them it was safe to drink when the city temporarily began using harsh Flint River water in April 2014.

Asked by a Detroit News reporter what he was filming for, Moore said only that he “didn’t have anything else to do today,” before he and staff jumped in a minivan and drove off. Crew members joked that the film shoot was for a Go-Gurt commercial.

Moore rose to fame with his 1989 documentary “Roger & Me” that chronicled his attempts to meet former General Motors CEO Roger Smith and explore the impact of auto factory closures in Flint.

He would go on to make films like “Bowling for Columbine,” which won the 2003 Oscar for best documentary, and “Farenheit 9/11.” His 2016 movie, “Michael Moore in TrumpLand,” was based on a one-man show he developed in the run-up to the presidential election.

joosting@detroitnews.com