Labelled Lies and Secrets, the recently announced ACMI documentary film program aims to influence discourse around some of today’s most poignant issues.
From the depths of cyber space to children living in war-torn Afghanistan. From the story of James Foley, a reporter kidnapped in Syria, to the shocking secrets of drone warfare. This series doesn’t shy away from controversy.
Here’s a run down on the four films that this series is based around.
Zero Days
From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) comes a cautionary tale about the risks of cyber warfare. The documentary investigates the tale of Stuxnet, a computer malware developed by the USA and Israel to ruin a vital component of an Iranian nuclear facility.
National Bird: The Drone Wars
Produced by Errol Morris and Wim Wenders, National Bird: The Drone Wars follows investigative journalist Sonia Kennebeck as she gives voice to three former military workers, who detail their experiences of working for the USA’s drone program. Haunted by their complicity in killing innocent civilians, the three whistleblowers brazenly choose to go public with their stories, revealing extensive guilt and personal trauma.
Land of the Enlightened
Pietar-Jan De Pue’s documentary feature debut is Strikingly shot on 16mm film over a seven year period. The film poetically combines fiction and documentary elements to great effect, creating a wholly original portrait of children living in the mountains regions of war-torn Afghanistan.
Jim: The James Foley Story
Winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film is a moving tribute to the life of James Foley, a US reporter who was kidnapped and eventually murdered in Syria. Directed by Foley’s childhood friend Brian Oakes, the film transports us from the secure haven of New England in the USA to the perilous war-torn countries of Libya and Syria.
The Secrets and Lies program begins on October 13th at ACMI in Melbourne. Visit the ACMI website for more information on the series and the films showing.
———-
