On the heels of its Oscar win for best documentary feature at last night’s Academy Awards, filmmaker Laura Poitras’ searing documentary Citizenfour makes its HBO debut tonight at 9/8CT. Steven Soderbergh co-executive produces the real-life thriller.
In January 2013, Poitras — who was already at work on a film about monitoring programs in the U.S. — received an encrypted email from a stranger calling himself Citizen Four, who offered her inside information about illegal wiretapping practices of the National Security Agency (NSA) and other intelligence agencies.
That June, Poitras traveled to Hong Kong with her camera and investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald to meet Citizen Four, who turned out to be none other than Snowden with classified documents in hand. Recordings from that meeting and several that followed form the basis of this eye-opening film.
According to HBO’s synopsis for the documentary, “Citizenfour places viewers in the hotel room with Poitras, Greenwald and Snowden as they attempt to manage the media storm raging outside, forced to make quick decisions that will affect their lives and all around them. The documentary not only shows the dangers of governmental surveillance, but makes audiences feel them. After seeing the film, viewers will never think the same way about their phone, e-mail, credit cards, web browser or digital footprint again.”
Citizenfour premieres Monday, Feb. 23 at 9/8CT on HBO.
