Citizenfour: Capturing Edward Snowden

Citizenfour concludes a trilogy of documentaries Poitras has made that show the effect of 9/11 on America and the world: the first was My Country, My Country, about life in Iraq following the US invasion in 2003; the second was The Oath, about inmates at the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. These films provide a powerful perspective on US policy in the last 13 years – in the case of Citizenfour, even some of Edward Snowden’s original detractors, like Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, came to embrace its message. Weinstein told the BBC that he found Snowden’s actions "despicable” but after seeing  Citizenfour decided that he would help distribute it. And now it's a leading contender to win the best documentary feature prize at the Academy Awards.

Tom Brook reveals how Poitras helped Edward Snowden tell his story – and the dramatic fallout they both continue to face.

(BBC)