Hollywood ? Documentary maker Robert Greenwald makes no secret about where his allegiances lie. The filmmaker has skewered the Bush administration for embarking on the war in Iraq, the Republican Party for alleged malfeasance in the 2000 presidential election, and Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News Channel, whose take on current events, he claims, is far from “fair and balanced.”

Now he’s taking aim at what he calls a “bipartisan” target: the Wal-Mart chain, which, with 1.6 million employees internationally and $285 billion in annual revenues, is the largest retailer in the world.

“Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” tells the story of five people – current and former employees as well as family business owners – affected by the policies of the retail behemoth. The $1.6 million film premieres on DVD Nov. 13.

Though Greenwald had no name recognition when he started out, sales of his DVD projects opened doors this time around. “Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election” (2002) sold more than 40,000 copies, “Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War” (2003) more than 120,000, and “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism” (2004) more than 200,000. While not in the league of documentaries such as Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” or Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me,” they’ve given Greenwald clout.

Robert Greenwald works at his desk strewn with Wal-Mart toys. The noted left-of-center documentarian has skewed Fox TV and the Iraq war in the past and is now tackling Wal-Mart. Greenwald's .6 million Wal-Mart:

A potential theatrical run is in negotiation, according to Greenwald. After the DVD premiere, more than 2,500 houses of worship, schools, businesses and homes have volunteered to hold screenings that week, followed by a discussion of related issues, he said.

Concern about Wal-Mart policies in the areas of environment, labor relations and employee benefits crosses economic, ideological and geographic lines, Greenwald said. “There are actually more Republicans than Democrats in the film,” he said. “Wal-Mart is an equal-opportunity offender.”

The film business, he says, is also a victim of the chain, which, experts say, accounts for 30 percent or more of DVD revenues.

“Because the company controls sales of so many DVDs, books and albums, it’s a (conservative) commissar of culture,” said Greenwald. “Decisions it makes about what to stock affect what gets made in Hollywood.”

Wal-Mart has declined to participate in the film. A request to interview the company’s chief executive, H. Lee Scott Jr., was turned down, the company said.