Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, right, salutes the crowd as he arrives for a screening of South of the Border with U.S. director Oliver Stone in Venice on Monday. (Andrew Medichini/Associated Press)

U.S. director Oliver Stone sparked vitriol in the U.S. after walking the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival Monday with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

His film South of the Border premiered in Venice, portraying Chavez as a champion of the poor who is much maligned in the U.S.

Chavez got a warm reception from European filmgoers when he appeared on the red carpet.

But conservative bloggers criticized Stone's history of advancing the agenda of leftist leaders, including his pro-Castro film, Looking for Fidel.

Stone, the director behind films critical of the Vietnam War such as Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, has also taken on capitalism in Wall Street.

South of the Border was criticized for painting a rose-coloured portrait of Chavez and overlooking his record of human rights violations and suppression of opponents. Stone fails to raise any of the tough issues with Chavez, critics said.

But Stone said he expected the criticism and realizes he may have difficulty getting distribution for the film in the U.S.

Previous films made about Central or South America had difficulty getting U.S. screenings, he said in an interview with Reuters.

"Salvador with Jimmy Woods had a hard distribution path in America and Comandante with Mr. Castro was taken off the air two weeks before it was going to be on cable, HBO," Stone said.

Stone said he set out to highlight the changes in South and Central America and the criticism of Chavez in the U.S., which he characterizes as misinformed.

"This is a bigger issue than Mr. Chavez and South America," he said. "Not only is there a revolution there, but there is this issue in America of constantly seeking out enemies, whether they be in Vietnam, whether they be in Iraq … or whether they be in Iran.

"Venezuela was on the hit list, no question. Why do we make enemies? Is it to maintain our own military? Is it to justify the creation of the American superstate? Why?"

Stone's film includes interviews with the leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba and Paraguay, all of whom express dissatisfaction with U.S. policy.

"If you look now, there are seven presidents, eight countries with Chile, that are really moving away from the Washington consensus control," Stone said. "But in America, they don't get that story."

Stone said his next project will be an interview film with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

With files from the Associated Press