Risk (2016 film)

Last updated

Risk
Risk (2016 film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Laura Poitras
Written byLaura Poitras
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
  • Erin Casper
  • Melody London
  • Laura Poitras
Music byJeremy Flower
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 19, 2016 (2016-05-19)(Cannes)
  • May 5, 2017 (2017-05-05)(United States)
Running time
91 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$219,599 [2]

Risk is a 2016 American documentary film written and directed by Laura Poitras about the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival [3] [4] and received generally favorable reviews. [5]

Contents

Originally titled "Asylum", [6] the film becomes a journey into Poitras's disillusionment with Assange. In the 2016 version of the film, Poitras presents a more sympathetic position towards Assange. [7] [8] The 2017 re-cut version focuses more on a critique of Assange as a flawed character, including his alleged sexual assaults and his "troubling" statements about women and responses to accusations against him. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Overview

The film's original premise was to address the life of Julian Assange, documenting scenes showing "motives and contradictions of Assange and his inner circle", [13] [14] focusing on the risks taken by persons involved in the well-known Wikileaks website, including Assange. The documentary begins in 2010, addressing the judicial measures he came to face on the part of the Swedish authorities, which sought his extradition from the U.K. in 2012. Assange alleges that any such Swedish extradition would have culminated in an eventual extradition to the United States. [15] The opening scene shows Assange (with Wikileaks staffer Sarah Harrison) calling the U.S. State Department, asking them to step-up security procedures. [16] This segues into a presentation of Assange's angst about the fate of Chelsea Manning and Assange's plans to avoid U.S. capture. The film then presents documentation of Assange's asylum claim, and the disguising of himself to sneak into the Embassy of Ecuador in London for refuge.

Originally titled "Asylum", [6] the film becomes a journey into Poitras's disillusionment with Assange. In the re-cut of the film, she altered the film's focus on the experience of risk-taking media work (Assange's as well as her own), towards a critique of Assange as a flawed character, including his alleged sexual assaults and "troubling" statements about women. [10] [11] [9]

In the 2016 version of the film, Poitras presents a more sympathetic position towards Assange. [7] [8] The 2017 re-cut version focuses more on Assange's responses to accusations against him. [8] [12]

In mid-2016, directly after the Cannes screening, Assange friend and Wikileaks supporter Jacob Appelbaum was publicly accused of abusing women while working with Wikileaks and serving as a computer security activist at Tor. [17] At one point in the film Poitras states in a voice-over her personal disappointment with Appelbaum, and her anger at Appelbaum's alleged abuse of one of her friends. In interviews, she stated that Julian Assange frantically attempted to get her to remove scenes in which he refers to the sexual assault allegations against him as a "radical feminist conspiracy" by lesbians, and that included him saying "an actual court case is going to be very hard for these women … they will be reviled for ever by a large segment of the world population. I don’t think it’s in their interest to proceed that way." [18]

Assanges lawyers contacted her directly before Cannes. Poitras said that Assange sent her an SMS message "saying the film is a threat to his freedom and he is forced to treat it accordingly.". [18] According to Poitras, this was what led her to refocus on the same accusations, to add the Appelbaum story to the film, and to change the overall message of the film. [12]

The film touches briefly on the role played by Wikileaks in the 2016 U.S. election.

On April 9, 2017, Showtime released a trailer for the film, executive produced by Sam Esmail and set to be released in the "summer". [9] [19] In July 2017, the producers of Risk wrote an open letter saying that WikiLeaks had attempted to "censor the content of the film" and "add more scenes with attorney Amal Clooney because she makes WikiLeaks look good". [20]

Cast

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes collected 101 reviews with an average rating of 7/10 As of July 18,2018, of which 82% were positive. The website's critical consensus states: "Risk poses knotty questions regarding documentary filmmaking ethics, but remains consistently compelling despite its flaws." [21] Metacritic gave the film a score of 72 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [5]

The New Republic wrote that "the scenes Poitras captures in RISK are remarkable". [22] Some reviewers highlighted Poitras' complex relationship with WikiLeaks, Assange and Appelbaum. [18] [23] The Washington Post noted that WikiLeaks lawyer Melinda Taylor criticised the film based on a description without seeing it and that her comments "seem particularly off-base". [23]

The film drew only $145,000 in box office remittances, a sharp drop from the $3 million earned by Citizenfour , Poitras' documentary about Edward Snowden.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Müller-Maguhn</span>

Andy Müller-Maguhn is a member of the German hacker association Chaos Computer Club (CCC). Having been a member since 1986, he was appointed as a spokesman for the club in 1990, and later served on its board until 2012. He runs a company that develops cryptophones.

Cryptome was an online library and 501(c)(3) private foundation created in 1996 by John Young and Deborah Natsios and closed in 2023. The site collected information about freedom of expression, privacy, cryptography, dual-use technologies, national security, intelligence, and government secrecy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WikiLeaks</span> News leak publishing organisation

WikiLeaks is an online publisher and media organisation founded in 2006. It operates as a non-profit and is funded by donations and media partnerships. It has published classified documents and other media provided by anonymous sources. It was founded by Julian Assange, an Australian editor, publisher, and activist, who is currently challenging extradition to the United States over his work with WikiLeaks. Since September 2018, Kristinn Hrafnsson has served as its editor-in-chief. Its website states that it has released more than ten million documents and associated analyses. WikiLeaks' most recent publication was in 2021, and its most recent publication of original documents was in 2019. Beginning in November 2022, many of the documents on the organisation's website could not be accessed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Appelbaum</span> American computer security researcher and journalist (born 1 April 1983)

Jacob Appelbaum is an American independent journalist, computer security researcher, artist, and hacker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Assange</span> Australian editor, publisher, and activist, founder of WikiLeaks (born 1971)

Julian Paul Assange is an Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He came to wide international attention in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a series of leaks from US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning: footage of an US airstrike in Baghdad, US military logs from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and US diplomatic cables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Poitras</span> American director and producer of documentary films

Laura Poitras is an American director and producer of documentary films.

The United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began on Sunday, 28 November 2010 when WikiLeaks began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates, embassies, and diplomatic missions around the world. Dated between December 1966 and February 2010, the cables contain diplomatic analysis from world leaders, and the diplomats' assessment of host countries and their officials.

<i>WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assanges War on Secrecy</i> Book by David Leigh and Luke Harding

WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy is a 2011 book by British journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding. It is an account of Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, and the leak by Chelsea Manning of classified material to the website in 2010. It was published by Guardian Books in February 2011.

WikiLeaks, a whistleblowing website founded by Julian Assange, has received praise as well as criticism from the public, hacktivists, journalist organisations and government officials. The organisation has revealed human rights abuses and was the target of an alleged "cyber war". Allegations have been made that Wikileaks worked with or was exploited by the Russian government and acted in a partisan manner during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

<i>Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority</i> Legal proceedings over extraditing Julian Assange to Sweden

Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority were the set of legal proceedings in the United Kingdom concerning the requested extradition of Julian Assange to Sweden for a "preliminary investigation" into accusations of sexual offences allegedly made in August 2010. Assange left Sweden in September 2010 and was arrested in his absence the same day. He was suspected of rape of a lesser degree, unlawful coercion and multiple cases of sexual molestation. In June 2012, Assange breached bail and sought refuge at Ecuador's Embassy in London and was granted asylum.

<i>The Fifth Estate</i> (film) 2013 thriller film by Bill Condon

The Fifth Estate is a 2013 biographical thriller film directed by Bill Condon about the news-leaking website WikiLeaks. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as its editor-in-chief and founder Julian Assange and Daniel Brühl as its former spokesperson Daniel Domscheit-Berg. Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis, Alicia Vikander, Stanley Tucci, and Laura Linney are featured in supporting roles. The film's screenplay was written by Josh Singer based in-part on Domscheit-Berg's book Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website (2011), as well as WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy (2011) by British journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding. The film's name is a reference to people who operate in the manner of journalists outside the normal constraints imposed on the mainstream media.

<i>We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks</i> 2013 American film

We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks is a 2013 American independent documentary film about the organization established by Julian Assange, and people involved in the collection and distribution of secret information and media by whistleblowers. Directed by Alex Gibney, it covers a period of several decades, and includes background material. Gibney received his fifth nomination for Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America Awards for this film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WikiLeaks Party</span> Political party in Australia

The WikiLeaks Party was a minor political party in Australia between 2013 and 2015. The party was created in part to support Julian Assange's failed bid for a Senate seat in Australia in the 2013 election, where they won 0.62% of the national vote. At the time Assange was seeking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The WikiLeaks Party national council included Assange, Matt Watt, Gail Malone, Assange’s biological father John Shipton, Omar Todd and Gerry Georgatos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Harrison (journalist)</span> WikiLeaks journalist

Sarah Harrison is a British former WikiLeaks section editor. She worked with the WikiLeaks' legal defence and has been described as Julian Assange's closest adviser. Harrison accompanied National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden on a high-profile flight from Hong Kong to Moscow while he was sought by the United States government.

<i>Citizenfour</i> 2014 film

Citizenfour is a 2014 documentary film directed by Laura Poitras, concerning Edward Snowden and the NSA spying scandal. The film had its US premiere on October 10, 2014, at the New York Film Festival and its UK premiere on October 17, 2014, at the BFI London Film Festival. The film features Snowden and Glenn Greenwald, and was co-produced by Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky, with Steven Soderbergh and others serving as executive producers. Citizenfour received critical acclaim upon release, and was the recipient of numerous accolades, including Best Documentary Feature at the 87th Academy Awards. This film is the third part to a 9/11 trilogy following My Country, My Country (2006) and The Oath (2010).

Gavin Hall MacFadyen was an American investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker. He was the director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) at Goldsmiths, University of London; Co-Founder with Eileen Chubb of the UK whistleblower support group, The Whistler; and a Trustee of the Courage Foundation. He was acknowledged as a ″beloved director of WikiLeaks″ shortly after his death in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indictment and arrest of Julian Assange</span>

In 2012, while on bail Julian Assange was granted political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he sought to avoid extradition to Sweden, and what his supporters said was the possibility of subsequent extradition to the US. On 11 April 2019, Ecuador revoked his asylum, he was arrested for failing to appear in court, and carried out of the Embassy by members of the London Metropolitan Police. Following his arrest, the US revealed a previously sealed 2018 US indictment in which Assange was charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion related to his involvement with Chelsea Manning and WikiLeaks.

John Shipton is an anti-war activist and architect in Sydney, Australia, and the father of Julian Assange. He founded the WikiLeaks Party and was involved in the creation of WikiLeaks and helped with WikiLeaks for years. He was criticised for meeting with President Bashar al-Assad during a trip to Syria as part of the WikiLeaks Party.

Ithaka is a 2021 Australian documentary film, which depicts the incarceration of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange through the experience of his wife Stella Assange and his father John Shipton. It was produced by his half-brother Gabriel Shipton. It premiered at the Sydney Film Festival on November 7, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "RISK (15)". British Board of Film Classification . Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Risk". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Fortnight 2016: The 48th Directors' Fortnight Selection". Directors' Fortnight . French Directors Guild. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (April 19, 2016). "Cannes: Directors' Fortnight 2016 Lineup – Laura Poitras' 'Risk', Pablo Larrain's 'Neruda', Paul Schrader's 'Dog Eat Dog'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Business Media . Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Risk Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  6. 1 2 McNary, Dave (September 9, 2015). "'Citizenfour' Director Laura Poitras Launching Documentary Unit (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Barnes, Henry (May 20, 2016). "Laura Poitras on her new Julian Assange film: 'Few people could stand the pressure he is under'". The Guardian . Guardian News and Media . Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Rose, Steve (June 8, 2017). "Two sides to every story: Whitney, Tupac, Assange and the trouble with making biopics". The Guardian . Guardian News and Media . Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Rutenberg, Jim (April 9, 2017). "WikiLeaks Documentary Evolves With Its Subject, Year After Premiere". The New York Times . Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  10. 1 2 Groll, Elias (May 5, 2017). "Julian Assange Is Not Ready for His Close Up". Foreign Policy . The Slate Group . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Lang, Brent (May 3, 2017). "'Risk' Director Laura Poitras on Her Explosive Julian Assange Documentary". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 Zeitchik, Steven (May 6, 2017). "With Laura Poitras' re-cut 'Risk,' a director controversially changes her mind about Julian Assange". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  13. ↑ Risk | Official Movie Site | IN THEATERS MAY 5 , retrieved November 7, 2023
  14. ↑ "Risk | SHOWTIME". SHO.com. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  15. ↑ Burr, Ty (May 11, 2017). ""Risk"—the Julian Assange doc—is a dance with the devil". The Boston Globe . Boston Globe Media Partners. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  16. ↑ Halpern, Sue (July 13, 2017). "The Nihilism of Julian Assange". The New York Review of Books . NYREV. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  17. ↑ Greenberg, Andy (June 6, 2016). "Tor Developer Jacob Appelbaum Resigns Amid Sex Abuse Claims". Wired . Condé Nast . Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  18. 1 2 3 Hattenstone, Simon (June 29, 2017). "Laura Poitras on her WikiLeaks film Risk: 'I knew Julian Assange was going to be furious'". The Guardian . Guardian News and Media . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  19. ↑ Holloway, Daniel (April 9, 2017). "Showtime to Release WikiLeaks Documentary 'Risk' by Laura Poitras". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  20. ↑ Coughlin, Brenda; Golijov, Yoni; Poitras, Laura (June 16, 2017). "Wikileaks Doc Makers Accuse Assange of Censorship". Newsweek. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Risk (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  22. ↑ Livingstone, Jo (May 5, 2017). "Julian Assange's God Complex". The New Republic. ISSN   0028-6583 . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  23. 1 2 Rosenberg, Alyssa (May 8, 2017). "I saw Laura Poitras's Julian Assange movie 10 days ago. I'm still struggling with it". The Washington Post . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.