Laura Poitras’ Film “Risk”
It’s not often that a movie becomes more timely the week it’s released, but that is the case for the new Laura Poitras film “Risk.” Poitras also made the Oscar winning film “Citizenfour,” about whistleblower Edward Snowdon.
“Risk” details the life of Julian Assange and his “WikiLeaks” project, including his time both before and during his extended stay at the Ecuadorean embassy in London (to avoid being extradited to Sweden on rape charges), as well as time with his mother.
Earlier this week former Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton blamed her loss in the presidential election partially on the impact of a release of the Russian WikiLeaks. Given some of what we see in the film, that wasn’t an impact that Assange had any problem with.
A good portion of “Risk” is set in the English countryside, apparently where Assange was under “mansion arrest.” at the lovely home of supporter Vaughan Smith.
Before the film I had no idea that the Ecuadorean embassy is right next door to Harrods!
“Risk” opens on Friday, and will be shown on Showtime later this summer.
