interview with filmmaker Laura Poitras
November 11, 2014 10:58 PM   Subscribe

A nicely lengthy interview with documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras. Poitras was one of the key figures involved in the revealing of Edward Snowden as the NSA whistleblower; she has a film (Citizenfour) opening this week. Poitras discusses her role as a documentary filmmaker, as well as her unique perspectives on the War on Terror, NSA surveillance, her status as a high-profile dissenter, and being on the receiving end of government harrassment.
posted by paleyellowwithorange (19 comments total) 22 users marked this as a favorite
 
And my friends haven't stopped contacting me because they don't want to get caught up in my association grid. Because let's face it, I have one.
I've been glad I haven't been friends of people I've met because I don't want to be caught up in their association grid. And I've had people I know say they didn't want to get close to me because they were concerned about being associated with me.

Chilling effects are real. It's not just speech that's chilled. The freedom of association is chilled because of the war on terror (and the associated surveillance state).
posted by el io at 11:22 PM on November 11, 2014 [4 favorites]


NPR had a 7 minute interview with Poitras, discussing how she first was informed about the NSA's activities by "Citizenfour," who would reveal himself to be Snowden, and discussing the making of the film.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:32 PM on November 11, 2014


I just saw the premier of Citizenfour (praxisfilms.org) in Berlin last week*, really remarkable film, highly recommended.

Just fyi, the Aaron Swartz documentary The Internet's Own Boy has been up on youtube for quite a while now. Appears Poitras' previous films My Country, My Country and The Oath haven't appeared gratis everywhere yet though.

*I should've stuck around for the Wall anniversary festivities last weekend too. lol
posted by jeffburdges at 2:31 AM on November 12, 2014 [3 favorites]


I am so looking forward to this movie. Poitras is a real hero - not in the shallower sense in which we call so many people hero, but in the deep sense that she has given up so much, the rest of her normal life really, to tell this story, to tell the truth.
posted by Dashy at 5:45 AM on November 12, 2014 [4 favorites]




I've been glad I haven't been friends of people I've met because I don't want to be caught up in their association grid. And I've had people I know say they didn't want to get close to me because they were concerned about being associated with me.

If you've emailed or called them, or just been in their presence with your phones or other devices on, you're associated as far as the NSA is concerned. Even if you've merely contacted someone who has contacted that person, you are potentially fair game for state surveillance.

Poitras' colleague Jacob Appelbaum's talk about NSA surveillance and "contact chaining", "To Protect and Infect" from last year is critical viewing for anyone who wants to understand this issue.
posted by ryanshepard at 7:13 AM on November 12, 2014 [5 favorites]


I read that guardian article (digital exiles) at the weekend and was wondering what was the agenda of the commentor who immediately takes a turn at Sarah Harrison.
The list of people who get constantly hassled whenever they try to cross borders into the USA or UK seems to be ever growing but whatever happensthe information will out as been shown time and time again but it takes extraordinarily brave people to bring it about and the first thing that those who wish to try and cover it all up do is shoot the messenger and ignore the message.
posted by adamvasco at 2:19 PM on November 12, 2014


Poitras' colleague Jacob Appelbaum's talk about NSA surveillance and "contact chaining", "To Protect and Infect" from last year is critical viewing for anyone who wants to understand this issue.

Jacob is one of those folks I've met and glad I didn't get to know, because of chaining issues. :)
posted by el io at 1:23 AM on November 13, 2014


Jacob is one of those folks I've met and glad I didn't get to know, because of chaining issues. :)

You're chained now.
posted by anemone of the state at 8:35 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


If you aren't actually a whistleblower, subversive, etc. then you should make yourself look as suspicious as possible, just to waste their time. Attend 31c3, turn your phone off every time you pass near ioerror, and take a vacation in Rio in January or for Carnival.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:55 AM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]


Art in a Time of Surveillance
posted by jeffburdges at 2:06 AM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]


From ryanshepard´s link
You don’t need to be talking to a terror suspect to have your communications data analysed by the NSA. The agency is allowed to travel “three hops” from its targets – who could be people who talk to people who talk to people who talk to you. Facebook, where the typical user has 190 friends, shows how three degrees of separation gets you to a network bigger than the population of Colorado. How many people are three “hops” from you?
Thats just Facebook. Now how many people are involved with Metafilter.
At least I´m in good company.
posted by adamvasco at 4:08 AM on November 14, 2014


Attend 31c3, turn your phone off every time you pass near ioerror, and take a vacation in Rio in January or for Carnival.

Yeah, I think you're pretty much a subversive at that point.
posted by el io at 12:52 PM on November 14, 2014


You wouldn't earn yourself the ioerror border treatment for such behavior. Yet, if they spend $10k tasking you with surveillance, that's $10k less producing any valuable intelligence that helps justify their budget. It's roughly like becoming vegetarian, installing ad blockers, etc. in that it's zero real cost to you but it might annoy the system if enough people participated.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:59 PM on November 14, 2014


every time you pass near ioerror
Could someone explain please.
posted by adamvasco at 2:58 PM on November 15, 2014


Poitras is on The Daily Show tonight.
posted by homunculus at 8:22 PM on November 17, 2014 [1 favorite]






I love the Department of Justice having their hat handed to them in court : youtube… With a nice @citizenfour reference! #nsa   - @ioerror
posted by jeffburdges at 4:53 AM on December 9, 2014


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