Wednesday 22 October 2014
Movie ’The Hacker Wars’ proves we are under U.S. government surveillance.
Weisman’s new documentary, “The Hacker Wars,” is frightening and a must-see.
Examiner Dorri Olds landed an exclusive interview with filmmaker Vivien Lesnick Weisman to talk about her film, "The Hacker Wars." The movie makes clear that we Americans should be screaming at our government for trampling our rights. Aside from spying on us, they are punishing those who exercise their right to free speech. The U.S. Constitution is becoming a bad joke. The U.S. government is arresting people left and right for telling the truth.
NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake makes a powerful statement in the film, “The United States has unchained from the constitution, this is an alien form of government.” The government didn’t like it when Julian Assange and Edward Snowden told citizens the truth about what our government is up to. “The Hacker Wars” is a follow-up investigative documentary that depicts what’s happening now.
The stars of the film are America’s most prominent hactivists post-WikiLeaks: Andrew “weev” Auernheimer, Barrett Brown and Jeremy Hammond. The three have been arrested and are fighting for their freedom. These not always likable men, display admirable commitment and dedication to fight what they know isn’t right. That has come at a high price. As with any of our American heroes who have fought the system, these three have been in a world of trouble.
The film also features Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Glenn Greenwald and Chris Hedges; and Jay Liederman, who is the defense lawyer for the international entity of hacktivists who call themselves Anonymous.
Examiner Dorri Olds: What made you want to make this film?
What makes you the right person to tell this story?
My last documentary, “The Man of Two Havanas,” played at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. It was about my father [Max Lesnik] who is both a journalist and an activist. He was a revolutionary that led the propaganda in the Cuban Revolution.
He was an eloquent speaker and at a very young age he had a huge following and he started spreading the word about the Cuban dictatorship. When he came to Miami he found himself in a conundrum because he had left Cuba because he didn’t feel aligned. He didn’t think that the revolution should align themselves with Washington or with Moscow. So, he had to leave Cuba but when he got to Miami and saw the goings on of the CIA and the Bay of Pigs, and the sickening poverty of his country, irrespective of how he felt about the Cuban government at that time, he became a proponent of opening up relations with Cuba.
Because of his activism he had a magazine that was bombed 11 times. But he never backed down. That reminds me of these revolutionaries: weev, Hammond and Barrett Brown.
- "The Hacker Wars" is now playing in New York City
- At City Cinemas Village East, 181-189 2nd Ave and West 12th St.
Video: The Hacker Wars visits The Nation Magazine with hacker weev Andrew Auernheimer the day his indictment for hacking AT&T is dismissed. weev discusses his incarceration conditions.
Purchase "The Hacker Wars" from Amazon (Rent/Buy HD):
After attaining the hard-won goal of completing an independent feature film, filmmakers are confronted with the equally gargantuan task of securing distribution. What better way to support "The Hacker Wars" than buying a DVD. Vivien Lesnik Weisman has been awesome help to Anons. Paying is a choice
