The brilliant use of dialogue in this film is taken directly from the actual interrogation transcript of a whistle-blower with the unlikely name of Reality Winner, who leaked a document showing Russian influence in the 2016 election of Donald Trump as President of the United States.
On May 9, 2017, Fox News is playing non-stop in her office, despite her complaints. It covers the firing of James Comey by President Trump.
A month later, Winner returns home from shopping to be to be confronted by two FBI agents (Josh Hamilton as Garrik, and Marchant Davis as Taylor) who have a warrant to search her home and belongings, and a team arrive to start a search.
An interrogation takes place in a disused room at the back of the house where she reveals she is a yoga instructor and a CrossFit trainer who lives on her own with a dog and a cat, owns three guns, and was formally a US Air Force member and translator. She is currently employed as a linguist in Dari, Pashto and Farsi by a government contractor.
The agents say they are investigating her in regard to a recent leak of classified information to news service The Intercept, which had published Edward Snowden’s leaks on NSA surveillance.
Winner (brilliantly played by Sydney Sweeny, The White Lotus) at first denies the accusation, but after intensive questioning eventually agrees that it was her. She is handcuffed, convicted, and sentenced to more than five years in jail. She was released under house arrest in June 2021 after serving four years.
The information was later used in the US Senate as Russian interference in the election of Donald Trump.
This was originally performed as a play called “Is This A Room” by Tina Satter and James Paul Dallas. This is the first feature film directed by Satter, who is well-known for her award-winning videos and as a playwright-director. The pulsing music was composed by Nathan Micay.
This is compelling cinema providing insight into how the US Government works.
83 minutes.
Showing at Luna Cinemas from Thursday 29th June.
Watch the trailer…
