For most of his career as a filmmaker, Alex Gibney has been deeply interested in tracking the path of corruption through the stories of the men who have fallen victim to its dark promises. With his latest film We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, Gibney seems less interested in profiling the murky morals of one corrupt individual and more intent on delving deep into the origin story of the biggest security breach in US history. Gibney's film profiles not just Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's swift rise from small-time hacker to nationally-recognized celebrity, but also the smaller names and events oft forgotten from this story. Through footage licensed from news outlets and borrowed from an Australian filmmaker and journalist who spent time with Assange, Gibney's revelatory film explores the grey motives behind Wikileaks's founder, calling into question the supposed high-minded principles of the organization's mission.
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks screened on Thursday, October 24 in Los Angeles as a part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series. Gibney sat down with KCRW's Matt Holzman to discuss whether he regrets having to position Julian at the center of his film, especially when Assange's ideology might prove to be more interesting than the man himself.
Watch below:
You can watch more moments from this Q&A at our IDA Screening Series playlist on our YouTube channel.
Learn more about the other docs set to play in the IDA Documentary Screening Series