The creation of Julian Assange’s controversial website and how it led to the largest security breach in U.S. history is detailed in Director Alex Gibney’s latest documentary feature, We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks.
The film follows the rise and fall of Assange who is viewed by some as a free-speech hero and by others as a traitor. It also parallels the case of Pfc. Bradley Manning, the young soldier who downloaded hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents and revealed the hidden workings of the government’s international diplomacy and military strategy.
Following the June 12 DGA membership screening in New York, Gibney discussed the making and aftermath of We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks with Director Dan Algrant (Greetings from Tim Buckley) in a conversation hosted by the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee's Documentary Series.
Gibney’s other films include Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson; Freakonomics; and My Trip to Al-Qaeda. He was nominated for the DGA’s Documentary award for his features Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer and Taxi to the Dark Side. He won the Academy Award for Taxi to the Dark Side and was also Oscar-nominated for Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.
Gibney has been a DGA member since 1998.