“Twilight” Director Defends Accused Pirate

“It was never my intention to record the movie”

The director of the “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” movie is speaking out on behalf of a Chicago-area woman who allegedly pirated three minutes of the film.

Chris Weitz says that authorities are unfairly making an example out of Samantha Tumpach, who faces three years in prison for illegally taping the film on Nov. 28 at a Rosemont movie theater.

“Needless to say, the case seems to me terribly unfair and I would like to do what I can to address this,” Weitz wrote in an e-mail to the Sun-Times.

Tumpach contends that she wasn’t taping the movie, per se, but was instead making a video of her sister’s surprise birthday party.

“It was never my intention to record the movie,” Tumpach said. “You can hear me talking the whole time.”

Weitz said he will contact the film studio on her behalf.

“I am not sure what effect I would have on the case. The film is, after all, not my property,” Weitz wrote to the Sun-Times.

“There is, needless to say, a difference between trying to protect the copyright of a film and making an unfair example of someone who clearly seems not to have any intentions towards video piracy,” Weitz wrote.

Tumpach is due in court on felony charges Dec. 17.
 

Contact Us