IFC Films Grabs Documentary Thriller “Enemies of the State”
By Kip Mooney• On • In NewsNewsComments Off on IFC Films Grabs Documentary Thriller “Enemies of the State”
The U.S. government isn't exactly known for its speed and efficiency. Unless of course they're prosecuting someone accused of leaking classified documents. Then it's all hands on deck to make sure they're punished and silenced. Sonia Kennebeck has focused much of her career on telling the stories of these whistleblowers and couriers. Her most recent effort (National Bird) was nominated for an Emmy, and she'll have two more out this year. (United States vs. Reality Winner will premiere at SXSW.)
Debuting at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, Enemies of the State tells the story of Matt DeHart, a former intelligence analyst for the Air National Guard. In his free time, he became obsessed with so-called hacktivism. While monitoring a private cloud server, he claims he came across classified documents regarding an FBI investigation into the CIA. This sparked a massive investigation into his hard drives and internet history, and eventually DeHart fled the country. The film includes several shocking allegations of conspiracy within the FBI, including working with local authorities to drum up bogus charges. While it's unlikely the film will have clear evidence of this, it should make for an intense watch.
Executive produced by Errol Morris, Enemies of the State will open in limited release this summer.
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
