Risk

After laying bare Edward Snowden the man and the myth in her Oscar-winning Citizenfour, Laura Poitras returns to the knotty territory of political truth-telling and international espionage with this years-in-the-making portrait of controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. A hero to some, a pariah to others, Assange comes across in this compelling documentary as guarded and inscrutable despite his crusade for complete transparency. Not interested in painting a simple portrait of one man fighting the system, Poitras traces his journey from 2011 all the way through this year’s election, finally admitting in voiceover: “This is not the film I thought I was making.” Significantly updated since its Cannes premiere last May, Risk is a film about principles, power, and human contradiction, and is not to be missed. Poitras and producer Brenda Coughlin will also appear in person for a post-screening discussion. Screening to be followed by a beer and wine reception for all ticket-holders. A NEON release.