SDH Captioned
Grades General Audience
Directed by Ben Lawrence
Produced by Gabriel Shipton, Adrian Devant
DVD Purchase $25
US Release Date: 2023
Copyright Date: 2022
DVD ISBN: 1-948745-93-3
Subjects
Activism
American Democracy
Anthropology
Citizenship and Civics
Ethics
Foreign Policy
US
Global Issues
Government
History
Human Rights
Journalism
Law
Media Literacy
Mental Health
National Security
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
War and Peace
Awards and Festivals
Audience Award, Human Rights Film Festival, Berlin
Amnesty International Award, Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Best International Director, Doc Edge Festival
Best Documentary & Audience Award, Soho London Independent Film Festival
Opening Night Film, Barcelona Human Rights Film Festival
Nominee, Best Documentary, Sydney Film Festival
Best Documentary, Australian Writers Guild
Nominee, Best Documentary, Cleveland International Film Festival
Nominee, Best Documentary, Walkley Awards
Nominee, Best Feature Documentary, AACTA Awards
Best Documentary, Best Direction, Capricorn Film Festival
DOC NYC
Sheffield DocFest
American Documentary and Animation Film Festival
Salem Film Fest
For Personal Use Only
The campaign to free Julian Assange takes on intimate dimensions in this portrait of a father's fight to save his son.
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"Emotional...Affecting...[A] heart-rending personal story of his family's battle to free him." Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian |
Filmed over two years across the UK, Europe and the US, this documentary follows 76 year-old retired builder, John Shipton's tireless campaign to save his son, Julian Assange.
Famous political prisoner, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has become an emblem of an international arm wrestle over freedom of journalism, government corruption and unpunished war crimes.
Now with Julian facing a 175 year sentence if extradited to the US, his family members are confronting the prospect of losing Julian forever to the abyss of the US justice system. This David-and-Goliath struggle is personal - and, with Julian's health declining in a British maximum-security prison and American government prosecutors attempting to extradite him to face trial in the US , the clock is ticking.
Weaving historic archive and intimate behind-the-scenes footage, this story tracks John's journey alongside Julian's fiancee, Stella Moris as they join forces to advocate for Julian. We witness John embark on a European odyssey to rally a global network of supporters, advocate to politicians and cautiously step into the media's glare - where he is forced to confront events that made Julian a global flashpoint.
Ithaka provides a timely reminder of the global issues at stake in this case, as well as an insight into the personal toll inflicted by the arduous, often lonely task of fighting for a cause bigger than oneself.
Reviews
"Timely, essential, and deeply human...This is really powerful stuff."
"Ithaka [is] a powerhouse new feature documentary...This intimate story of a family's crisis traces moments from the trial and its aftermath, underscoring how Julian's story is emblematic of a decade of uncertainty and volatility."
"Intriguing...Shipton is a fascinating character - abrupt, ill at ease with the voracious press attention, but also possessed of a sharp, unusual intelligence...It's a mind, you suspect, that is not dissimilar to that of his son."
"Superb film...Assange remains in prison, the US appealing the verdict, and the central issue remains live: both a human being and press freedoms are under assault."
"Ithaka is a deft look at Julian Assange, his family and supporters...It is fascinating to meet Shipton, a man who so resembles his son they could almost be siblings. Not only are they alike physically, they have the same gift for language with a similar tendency to speak, from time to time, in riddles like an ancient seer...Besides questions of human rights, press freedom and freedom of speech that Ithaka wants us to consider, there is a fascinating portrait of Julian's father here."
"In Homer's myth, Odysseus regains his homeland, the Greek island of Ithaka, but there is no end in sight for Julian Assange's odyssey...4 stars."
"A masterful piece of filmmaking that will impress Assange's supporters as well as those who don't like him...A brilliant reconciliation between politics and art, informatio