New docufilm about Julian Assange is a must-see for everyone who believes in freedom of speech and is against the atrocities of war

Julian Assange is a hero in every sense of the word; a man fighting for human rights and government transparency while surviving unjust, malicious treatment from those powers that be.

Having founded non-profit site WikiLeaks in 2006, Assange came to broader prominence four years later when his site published a series of leaks from US Army intelligence. These included disturbing footage of a US airstrike in Baghdad, along with US military logs from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Subsequently, the US government has been on a mission to see Assange incarcerated under its antiquated ‘Espionage Act’, and up until recently have been spying on his every move while he’s been imprisoned in Europe and the UK under false allegations of sexual misconduct.

A new Australian-produced documentary, The Trust Fall: Julian Assange is now offering the public a fuller, clearer picture of Assange’s story, told through interviews with associates from his early university days, and with professionals in law and the media. It also includes scenes from the original leaks which really need to be viewed so as to realise the fuller picture.

The critically acclaimed production delves into the full WikiLeaks story, from his student beginnings right through to Assange’s arrest, while also covering the broader implications of an industrial military complex that uses any means to silence detractors and stops citizens from exercising our freedom of speech.

Featuring narration from prominent people in the fields of music and film – including Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame, rap artist MIA, actress Susan Sarandon, and Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, hearing their words makes you realise just how far Julian’s message of the importance of free speech has reached.

While some of the scenes are confronting, particularly the infamous Collateral Murder incident, and when we see Julian held in solitary confinement at England’s Belmarsh Prison, this film should be seen by everyone who believes in basic human rights and freedom of speech.

Susan Sarandon is one of the many artists fighting for Julian Assange not to be extradited to the US, where the government wishes to incarcerate him under antiquated ‘espionage’ laws.

Assange’s recent release from Belmarsh could mean worse for the man since now the US government is trying to extradite him to face charges under their dodgy laws that threaten him with a superfluous 175-year prison sentence.

Australian filmmaker Kym Staton has done a remarkable job in presenting a rounded perspective of the Assange case, never patronising the viewer while providing a clearer picture and more articulate voice on the issue, and on behalf of Assange who of course hasn’t been able to have his say whilst incarcerated.

Says Staton, “In 2010, I witnessed the ‘Collateral Murder’ video on the nightly news. At the time I didn’t make sense of it. I had no idea of the significance of this footage, who Julian Assange or WikiLeaks were. I gradually pieced it together over the following eight years and then was motivated to make a film about it.”

And I’m glad he did. This film must be seen by everyone. It sheds light on the importance of bringing truth to power. Even if we may not wish to risk being incarcerated for speaking up, such as Assange has done, we can at least realise that our leaders may not always have our best interests at heart – and that they must be questioned by us, be it through simple emails to them, or through more powerful gestures such as strikes and protests.

Antonino Tati

‘The Trust Fall: Julian Assange’ is now screening at Event Cinemas, Hoyts and Village Cinemas. View the trailer, below.