Special Screening and Panel: Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War
5 October 2024 | 7.45 p.m. | Kino in der KulturBrauerei
In 2010, WikiLeaks released the disturbing ‘Collateral Murder’ video, which shows US soldiers shooting at civilians in Baghdad on 12 July 2007. The video caused a global outrage, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange became Enemy Number One in the United States.
In their documentary film 'Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War', Can Dündar and Sarah Mabrouk focus on the individuals who experienced this attack. They find a survivor in Iraq and one of the US soldiers involved, revealing that, seventeen years after the events unfolded, the trauma and pain persist.
Live conversation between survivor Sajjad Mutashar and US soldier Ethan McCord
On 5 October, 'Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War' will have its cinema premiere at our festival, and we are honoured to be hosting Sajjad Mutashar and Ethan McCord for a conversation. Sajjad Mutashar survived the attack as a ten-year-old boy, while Ethan McCord was a US soldier who arrived at the scene right after the attack. Their encounter was captured in the 'Collateral Murder' video. After the screening, they will meet again to talk about guilt and reconciliation.
Panel discussion with Can Dündar, Sarah Mabrouk and WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson
Following the conversation, there will be a high-profile panel discussion with WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, who, along with directors Can Dündar and Sarah Mabrouk, will discuss the current challenges facing press freedom and freedom of expression. The event will be moderated by Dr Melinda Crane, Chief Political Correspondent at Deutsche Welle (DW).
Jan Sebastian Friedrich Rust, co festival director and Managing Director of Aktion gegen den Hunger, as well as Dr. Nadja Scholz, Programm Director DW, and Dr. Maik Thieme,
Managing Director Reporters Without Borders, will welcome the guests and introduce the event.
Initiated and curated by Martina Dase (Strategic Advisor HRFFB, Journalist, Filmmaker) and Frauke Sandig (Commissioning Editor DW Documentaries, Producer of the series 'Guardians of Truth', Filmmaker)
Secure tickets now:
PANEL GUESTS
Kristinn Hrafnsson
Kristinn Hrafnsson
Kristinn Hrafnsson is an Icelandic investigative journalist. He studied political science and media, worked as a researcher and freelance journalist, and joined the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV) full time in 1991. Until 2010, he worked at RUV, private TV Channel 2, as a news editor, and on documentaries. He collaborated with WikiLeaks on the Collateral Murder video in 2010, later joining WikiLeaks full time, becoming its spokesperson, and in 2018, the Editor-in-Chief.
Can Dündar
Can Dündar
Can Dündar is one of the most prominent Turkish-speaking journalists, authors, and filmmakers. As editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet, he reported on arms deliveries by the Turkish secret service to Syria, which led to his sentencing in absentia to over 27 years in prison. He now lives and works in exile in Berlin, where he heads the project #ÖZGÜRÜZ. Dündar has written several books and received numerous awards, including the Reporters Without Borders Human Rights Prize.
Sarah Mabrouk
Sarah Mabrouk
Sarah Mabrouk is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. She spent ten years working in news, primarily in the Middle East. She reported on the Iraq war, the Lebanon war, conflicts in Israel/Palestine, the Arab Spring, and Iran. Within the news world, Sarah has worked as a reporter, producer, camerawoman, and writer for press agencies, television, and radio. Her clients have included AP, BBC, CNN, France 24, ZDF and EFE. Most recently she has been working as a reporter and filmmaker for DW.
Dr. Melinda Crane
Dr. Melinda Crane
Dr. Melinda Crane has given speeches and moderated events and discussions for a wide range of international organizations and firms. She is a frequent guest and commentator on German television and radio. An experienced TV anchor, she served as Chief Political Correspondent and Senior Political Analyst at DW TV and also hosts the DW talk show “To the Point”. In 2014 she was awarded the Steuben-Schurz Media Award for her service to transatlantic understanding.
With the support of Deutsche Welle (DW) and in partnership with:
Image description: Film still from Guardians of Truth: Julian Assange and the Dark Secrets of War. The picture shows Sajjad Mutashar, survivor of the ‘Collateral Murder’ attack. He now lives and works in Baghdad.
