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SILENCED documents how telling the truth becomes a dangerous act when three federal whistleblowers reveal the darkest corners of America’s war on terror.
Director: James Spione
Share this film. Give other the chance to see the power of the individual and what it could cost to tell the truth.
Become involved with the Government Accountability Project, of which Jesselyn Radack is the Director of National Security and Human Rights.
Connect with Transparency International, which works to end corruption around the world.
Report corruption. The National Whistleblowers Center offers information and assistance.
Consider donating to the Whistleblower Support Fund, a non-profit organization that provides support and counsel to whistleblowers
“The audience was mostly sympathetic to the whistleblowers, applauding them for their sacrifices—among them risking financial ruin, imprisonment, and depression. Yet the post-screening Q&A, moderated by Pulitzer Prize winning Barton Gellman, brought out the critics.”
IndieWire reports on how Drake and Raddack responsed to audience questions.
“I couldn’t remain silent,” said former senior NSA official, Thomas Drake.
Watch on Democracy Now.
The former NSA official reached a plea deal with the government, but the case still raises questions about the public’s right to know. Read more in Smithsonian Magazine.
Jesselyn Raddack is a whistleblower’s defense
“I thought it was very important to show that [Snowden] was not just living some isolated life in Russia,” Radack says. “It’s also to show that our Congress in the U.S. has not deigned to hear from him.”
Read more about Jesselyn Raddack, her background and her work as an attorney.
“I had to get out of there, because they were using the program I built to do domestic spying, and I didn’t want any part of it,” says Bill Binney, who worked for the NSA for 3 decades. “I look at it as basically treason. They were subverting the Constitution.”
NPR features Binney and others who have refused to compromise their character and integrity.
Is Thomas Drake an enemy of the state? The New Yorker asks in this wonderful article on Drake and on the NSA’s culture of secrecy.
John Kiriakou speaks out in The Guardian, shaming U.S. President Barack Obama for persecuting whistleblowers with a legal relic, while his own administration officials leak with impunity.
Learn more about the history of espionage in the U.S. here.
What sets Edward Snowden apart from other alleged leakers? And why has the Obama administration repeatedly turned to the espionage statutues?
Visit PBS to explore the history of leakers, from the Pentagon Papers to Wikileaks.
"HARD-HITTING, ALARMING…"
Documentary Magazine
"Compelling, suspenseful, and intelligent"
Motherboard
"A film that resonates."
Toronto Star
