We Steal Secrets Study Guide

7/18/2019 We Steal Secrets Study Guide

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Representation and Text:Who is Julian Assange?




We Steal Secrets2013Director: Alex Gibney

See the Wikileaks annotated version of the whole script athttp:wikileaks!or"#$Ght%l"ibney&transcript!ht%l

'hapter 1recap of (ASA hackin" incident

What kind of foota"e and editin" e)ects are is *sed in the openin" %in*tes of this+l%, What are the i%pacts of these choices,

Str*ct*re of this narrative: why start this doc*%entary with reports re dan"er in-lorida, #n representin" Assan"e. what is the i%pact of be"innin" with the (ASAhack story,

/he +rst foota"e we see of Assan"e is of hi% sayin" “you talk of times of peacefor all and then prepare for war … yep! What does that choice brin",

Sy%bolis%: What kinds of "raphics and editin" are *sed d*rin" the titlese*ence, What do these sy%bols s*""est, What is the e)ect of co%binin"the% with the $idni"ht il Son",

'hapter 2%onta"e of opinions: what drives *lian Assan"e,

“" like #eing creati$e … " also like defending $ictims and "%m& a com#ati$e personso " like crushing #astards This profession … is deeply personally satisfying tome! (ote Assan"es tone while he says these thin"s! What does the 4*xtaposition ofthe tone and content of this state%ent s*""est abo*t how Assan"e likes torepresent hi%self,

'ark (a$is “" see it entirely as one man against the world!

• $odality• 5olarity

http://wikileaks.org/IMG/html/gibney-transcript.html

http://wikileaks.org/IMG/html/gibney-transcript.html




• S*b4ectivity

Daniel Do%scheit&6er": “$ery radical $isionary!

• 'onnotations

• /one

)ick (a$ies “extremely cle$er& #ra$e& dedicated& hardworking guy witha #rilliant idea that he managed to execute!

• /one

• Ad4ectives

• '*%*lative description

• re"ister

7oiceover 8Alex Gibney9: “*#sessed with secrets: keeping his own and unlockingthose of go$ernments and corporations … +e liked to use trapdoors to enterwhere he wasn%t supposed to go!

• Ad4ective obsessed;

• #rony• $etaphor

• 'onnotation trapdoors;

<*otes on screen: “We%re going to fuck them all … crack the world open and let it ,ower into something new Wikileaks may #ecome the most powerful intelligentagency on the earth& an intelligence agncy of the people!

• /one:

• 7*l"arity:

• $etaphor:• $odality:

• S*perlative ad4ective:

5rof =obert $anne 8>a /robe ?niversity9 “" think he%s a humanitarian anarchist& akind of John -enin.like re$olutionary& dreaming of a #etter world!

• 5aradox:

• All*stion

• 'onnotation of verb drea%in";

@eather 6rook 8o*rnalist9 “" was struck #y his $aulting idealism andforthrightness a#out what he #elie$ed in& totally uncompromisinga#out freedom of speech … " thought he was ama/ing!

• Ad4ective va*ltin"

• 'onnotations idealis%;

• 'onnotation forthri"htness;• $odality

• /one

Assan"e: “0$ery week we achie$e ma1or $ictories in #ringing the un1ust toaccount and are helping the 1ust!

• $odality

• 5olarity• 'lich

• /one

$ichael @ayden. for%er director of (ational Sec*rity A"ency 8(SA9 and'#A: he explains so%e of the criticis%s that spro*ted followin" the B11

attacks! What is the i%pact of seein" a %an of s*ch hi"h stat*s in




the "lobal intelli"ence co%%*nity ad%ittin" a Caw,

statistic: “23 333 emails and phone calls intercepted each second! Why *sestatistics in a pers*asive text s*ch as a doc*%entary,

Why did Assan"e p*blish a %ost wanted leaks; list in 200B,

'hapter 3#celandic 6ank xpose /he chapter be"ins with an encrypted %essa"e fro% 21 $ay 2010 “let%s 1ust say4someone% " know intimately well … has #een penetrating 56 classi7ed networks&mining data … it%s important that it gets out … it might actually changesomething … information should #e free …!:

• So*nd e)ects• 7is*al e)ects

• >ack of voiceover

• /one it %i"ht act*ally chan"e so%ethin";

• $odalities

• 5*rpose

• What does this s*""est abo*t whistleblowers. partic*larly 6radley$annin",

=ecap of #celandic 6ank fra*d: what ele%ents are *sed to portray the desperationof #celanders and the heroic actions of Wikileaks,

-oota"e fro% conference and news interview: what is s*""ested abo*t therelationship between Assan"e and Do%scheit&6loo% by the selection of foota"e,

'hapter E'ollateral $*rder#n representin" the heart of the 'ollateral $*rderfoota"e fro% the #ra war. what di)erence do

these thin"s %ake: • $entionin" that the helicopter was over

half a %ile above the attack and co*ld notbe seen

• /he s*btitles that hi"hli"ht co%%ents s*ch as oh yeah. we "ot hi%;

• $entionin" that two =e*ters 4o*rnalists were a%on"st those who werekilled

• -oota"e of children bein" carried fro% the attack,




• 'olo*r photo"raphs of the scene

• -ather takin" children to school

@ow is Wikileaks represented at this sta"e of the doc*%entary, Scale, 5*rpose,=elationships, “"t was an incredi#ly intimate time #ecause we all knew we wereworking … on something that could get us in $ery serious trou#le and we were allwilling to take that conse8uence!

'hapter FGlobal response to 'ollateral $*rder5rof =obert $anne 8>a /robe ?niversity9 “+e #ecame a pu#lic 7gureextraordinarily 8uickly "t was really April 933 where he went from relati$eo#scurity into an a#solutely central world 7gure ; and he did it deli#erately … hea#solutely knew what he was doing +e decide<d= to take on the American 6tatein pu#lic!

• Ad4ectives

• 5olarity• /one

• $odality

• 'lich

Do yo* think that Assan"es decision to title the foota"e 'ollateral $*rder; wasinCa%%atory, Was it e)ective,

(ews %onta"e: what is the p*rpose of followin" a Whiteho*se 5ress State%entdirectly with Assan"e %akin" a state%ent,

Assan"e: “The #eha$ior of the pilots is like they are playing acomputer game Their desire was simply to kill … "f those killingslawful under the rules of 0ngagement& then the Rules of0ngagement are wrong ; deeply wrong!

$ichael @ayden. for%er director of (ational Sec*rity A"ency 8(SA9 and '#A: howdoes he present his case in a pers*asive way,“" can understand someone who is trou#led #y <the >ollateral 'urder footage=and someone who wants the American people to know that& #ecause the American people need to know what it is their go$ernment is doing for them "actually share their $iew When " was the director of the >"A& there was some stu we were doing <that= " wanted all @33333 Americans to know ut " ne$er 7guredout a way without informing a whole #unch of other people who didn%t ha$e a

right to that information& who may actually use that … message to harm mycountrymen!




• Describe the settin" for this interview! Sy%bolis%,

• @ow does @ayden spin the story,

• #s the 'ollateral $*rder; story 4*st for the A%erican people to know,

• What patriotic ideas and clichs does this %an *se,

• What is the i%pact of this %an %akin" his e%pathy so obvio*s, And whatis he s*""estin" abo*t Assan"e,

What is achieved thro*"h the %onta"e of explosions. incl*din" one fro% o*/*be,

7oiceover: “Why was a transcript less secret than a mo$ing image?! “clearly the go$ernment recogni/es the power of imagesut the ultimate power of image isit helps people understand what it is this fact is that we all knowBlag.draped coCns help usunderstand the conse8uences of sending our children o to war

Dictures of detainee a#use in A#uEra#e help us understand exactly what was taking place Fideo of thatunfortunate occurrence where innocent people were killed helps us understandthat this is an ine$ita#le conse8uence of war! @ow does the foota"e that acco%panies this co%%ent con+r% his assertion thati%a"es are very powerf*l,

Describe the %*sic that is also layered over this foota"e! What %eanin" does itadd to the representation of ?S %ilitary fail*res,

'hapters H&I: skip8Adrian >a%o. 6radley $annin"9

'hapter BAssan"es context as a teen hacker in the arly 1BB0sWhat is s*""ested by the %onta"e incl*din" a co%edy sketch. a c*rrent a)airspro"ra% and a +l% abo*t hackers,

What does this doc*%entary s*""est abo*t the #nternational S*bversives;!

'*t at 2E:F0: 2nd section of Assan"es (ational 5ress 'l*b; interviewat podi*%!




'o%%ent on the sy%bolis% in the brief shot of Assan"e in a ha%%ock s*spendedfro% sca)oldin"!

What does $endax; %ean, Why do yo* think Assan"e *sed it as his code

na%e,

Describe the "raphicsfont *sed for $endax;! What does it s*""est thro*"hsy%bolis%,

Describe the %*sic that is layered over this voiceover and %onta"e! What does itcontrib*te,

Why do yo* think the director incl*ded this photo"raph of Assan"e as a teena"er,

Assan"e describes havin" a back door; into the penta"on! What is thedi)erence in connotation between a back door; and a trapdoor; 8'hapter 19,

Jen Day. A*stralian -ederal 5olice: do yo* reco"niKe this settin", Whatsy%bolis% does it contrib*te!

“The internet was a new frontier for people to go out and express themsel$es: "%mthere& "%m the 7rst& "%m the all.powerful This is the common theme with peoplethat are hackers "t was all ego.dri$en: 4"%m the #est%! What do yo* notice abo*tDays s*%%ary of the pro+le of hackers,

• $odality

• 'lichs

Assan"es childhood is br*shed over! Why do yo* think the director %ade thatdecision. "iven that so%e other 4o*rnalists dwell on the c*lt involve%ent and hisincredibly *prooted childhood,

“Julian does not like #eing 1udged +is rationali/ation is 4yeah& "%$e #eencon$icted #ut was un1ust& it%s unfair& "%m a martyr% +e didn%t accept it!




“Julian always had 8uite a rigid political$iew +e%s always #elie$ed that there%sthese secrets that need to #e disco$ered!

What is the i%pact of showin" the sel+e of $annin". then Koo%in" in on the sa%ei%a"e,

'hapter 10&11$annin"s str*""lesL "rowin" Wikileaks tea%!

'hapter 12Af"han War >o"s =elease /his chapter be"ins with what looks like ho%e %ovie foota"e! Why do yo* think this private disc*ssion in a private ho%e was +l%ed, What does this foota"ereveal,

What is conveyed by the co%%ent “he was a rock star +e was one of the mostfamous guys on the planet! , Do yo* "et the i%pression that this is so%ethin" thedirector wants *s to believe at this sta"e,

Assan"e: “We ha$e a harm minimi/ation process*ur goal is harm minimi/ation *ur method is transperancy ut we donot put the method #efore the goal! What does this state%ent %ean,

'ontradictions now start to e%er"e fro% Assan"es collaborators! What do theyreveal,(ick davies fro% /he G*ardian re har% %ini%iKation process:

Daniel Do%scheit&6er" re redactions:

What is the e)ect of layerin" voiceover and %*sic on top of i%a"es andheadlines, Which do yo* pay %ost attention to, Which "ets overshadowed foryo*, Why do yo* think the director *ses this techni*e,

“The world was indeed talking a#out ci$ilian casualties in Afghanistan and a#outthe existence of a s8uad that was going out and killing Tali#an ut the

Whitehouse managed the news and the story #ecame 4Wikileaks has got #lood ontheir hands! What is the e)ect of the Mblood on NhistheirO hands %onta"e,

'*t at EP:00:;it was there that he capt*red his Ca"s Q a lotof Ca"s!;




“That speculati$e #lood #ecame more important than the actual #lood 4Wealready concede all that terri#le stu We know a#out that -et%s focus on yournightmares ; how all these people might die #ecause the go$ernments% secrets

ha$e #een unleashed%! @ow was Assan"e alienated as a res*lt of the Mblood onhis hands spin,

What is the sy%bolis% of the se*ence in which we see *lian havin" his %ake&*papplied before an interview. followed by the %onta"e of hi% bein" introd*ced,@e says that he wo*ld rather Wikileaks did not need a p*blic face: “the pu#licdemands that it has a face and actually we%d much prefer ; "%d prefer ; if it didn%tha$e to ha$e a face … "f the demand is so great& people start in$enting faces! Given what yo* have seen so far. do yo* believe his state%ent,

'hapter 13Alle"ations fro% Sweden'hapter 1E#ra War >o"sWhat war cri%e is the ?S"overn%ent i%plicated by inthe #ra War >o"s, @ow is ita"ainst the Geneva'onvention,

'hapter 1F(ov 2I 2010: >eak of ?S Diplo%atic 'ables$annin"s chat %essa"es and e%ails arealways presented as white text on a blackback"ro*nd! @ow is that an e)ective

sy%bol in this doc*%entary,

What was exposed by the release of the ?SDiplo%atic 'ables,

5hilip 'rowley. -or%er Ass! Secretary of State for 5*blic A)airs: “"t would #e awound that keeps opening up on a recurring #asis! What were so%e i%pacts ofthis leak,

'*t at xxx: Assan"e lookin" at headlines in Wikileaks oRce #%*nto*chable now;

'*t at xxx: 6radley $annin"s letter to Wikileaks with piano so*ndtrack!Skip to Chapter 15



Representation and Text: pWho is Julian Assange?

$ichael @ayden. for%er director of (ational Sec*rity A"ency 8(SA9 and '#A:“-ook& e$eryone has secrets 6ome of the acti$ity nation states conduct in orderto keep their people safe and free need to #e secret in order to #e successful "fthey are #roadly known& you cannot accomplish your work "%m going to #e $ery

candid& alright: we steal secrets We steal other nations% secrets *ne cannotdo that a#o$e #oard and #e $ery successful for a $ery long period of time!

@illary 'linton. Secretary of State: “disclosures like these tear at the fa#ric ofresponsi#le go$ernment Deople of good faith understand the need for sensiti$ediplomatic communications& #oth to protect the national interest and the glo#alcommon interest!

What is achieved by the %onta"e of o*tra"ed ?S elected oRcials. %edia +"*res

and *niversity professors,• 5ace of editin"

• So*ndtrack

• Str*ct*re:o “a terrorist organi/ation!

o “an enemy com#atant!

o “a #lackmail extortionist terrorist!

o “ a crackpot alleged sex oender!

o “he ought to #e hunted down and gra##ed and put on trial!

o “he needs to #e prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and& if

that #ecomes a pro#lem& we need to change the law! o “We%$e got special ops forces " mean& a dead man can%t leak stu

"llegally shoot this son of a #itch! o “This little punk … *#ama& if you%re listening today& you should

take this guy out! o “*#ama should take out a contract and may#e use a drone or

something! o “That%s what "%d like to see: a little drone hit Assange& right?!

7oiceover: “All the threats were aimed at Assange )o one called for attacks onthe Euardian or the )ew Gork Times! xplain what is *nfair & and s*spicio*s &abo*t this!

@ow lon" was it after this leak that #nterpol p*t p*t a warrant forAssan"es arrest, What was he to be arrested for,

a%es 6all: Fisa and 'astercard will happily process payments for the Hlu Hlux>lan … and yet this one& they%$e not only #locked it themsel$es& they won%t letany intermediaries do it!

• All*sion

• xy%oron




'hapter 1H5*blic s*pport for Wikileaks swellsWhat happened when the Wikileaks site ca%e *nder attack,

Which +"*res face is lent to the ca%pai"n, What is the si"ni+cance of thatall*sion,

'hapter 1PAssan"e *nder @o*se Arrest at llin"ha% @all. (orfolkrientation to llin"ha% @all: what ele%ents of h*%o*rare *sed in this %onta"e, @ow does it shift yo*rreadin" of Assan"e,

• Sy%bolis%

• *xtaposition

• Still i%a"es

• So*ndtrack

Dinner with *lian; video: whatdoes the %ise en scene s*""est,What skepticis% does a%es 6allhere,

$edia t*rnin" on Assan"e: how does this %onta"e pro"ress the story abo*t whoAssan"e is seen to be,

• (arrator: “<+is former media partners= defended his right to pu#lish #ut

#egan to turn on Assange himself!

• 7a*"han S%ith. 4o*rnalist and host: "%$e #een close enough to see … the

wasps around the 1am here +e stirred the nest and they%$e come to stinghim rather more than perhaps he expected!

o $etaphoro 7is*al and tactile i%a"e

• 6ill Jeller. exec*tive editor of /he (ew ork /i%es. 2011 article: “elusi$e&

manipulati$e and $olatile! as well as “arrogant& thin.skinned&conspiratorial and oddly credulous!

'*t at xxx: title slide >ondon. n"land. P Dece%ber2010




8http:www!nyti%es!co%20110130%a"aKine30Wikileaks&t!ht%l,pa"ewantedallTUr09

o Ad4ectives

o /one

o 'onnotation

o $odality

• “+e looked like a #ag lady coming in: he was wearing kind of a dingy kahki

sports coat& old tattered shoes with socks that were kind of collapsingaround his ankles and he clearly hadn%t #athed in se$eral days!

o 7is*al and olfactory i%a"eryo '*%*lative descriptiono 'onnotation ba" lady;o /one

• $ark Davis. 4o*rnalist and +l% %aker: “The )ew Gork Times& the hypocrisy

of this act … " mean they wanted this material& they were fully complicit inthe pu#lication of the material #ut& as soon as the heat came on& they

wanted to wash their hands! o 'lichso *xtapositiono $odalityo /one

(arrator re ne"otiatin" for an interview with Assan"e: “Julian wanted money +esaid that the market rate for an inter$iew with him was I 333 333 When "declined& he oered an alternati$e: perhaps " would spy on my other inter$iewsand report #ack to him " couldn%t do that either (uring his time under housearrest& he had #ecome more secreti$e and paranoid +e railed against hisenemies and " knew that he had tried to get all his followers to sign a non.disclosure agreement The penalty for leaking: I 333 333!

• Statistics• $odality

• Ad4ectives secretive and paranoid;

• /one

• Voo% in

• $ise en scene

Assan"e: All organistions face two possi#le paths: they can #e open& honest& 1ustor they can #e closed& un1ust and& therefore& not successful! #n ter%s ofrepresentin" Assan"e. note the settin" of this interview and how the interview hasbeen edited to Koo% into an $'?! Why do yo* think that decision was %ade,Why is there also an editin" e)ect of /7 Mbars across the shot,

(arrator: “+ad the secret leaker #ecome the secret keeper& more and more fondof mysteries?!

• =hetorical *estion

• 5olarity

What events co%bined to create the low&point for Wikileaks,

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/magazine/30Wikileaks-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0







Daniel Do%scheit&6oo%s resi"nation: foota"e of hi% ridin" a bicycle withco%%ent abo*t his decision to *it the co%pany! /his is at the core of wherethin"s went wron" and where. *lti%ately. Wikileaks has lost control of the spread

of these doc*%ents!; xplain what ele%ents of control have been lost!

“All Julian had left was his cele#rity!: excerpt fro% /he Si%psons! What do yo* think abo*t this parody of Assan"e Q and the fact that he was prepared toparticipate in %akin" the episode,

5*blic %er"ed Assan"e and $annin"s casesL sho*ld they re%ain discreet,• a%es 6all “There is a phenomenon called Kno#le cause corruptionK:

essentially& you do things which if anyone else did you would recognisearenLt ok& arenLt right& #ut #ecause you know youLre a good guy& itLsdierent for you!

o =e"istero Stills: yo*n" older Assan"e with dissolve

• (ick Davies: “The same extraordinary personality which concei$ed of and

created Wiki-eaks is also the same personality that has& eecti$ely&destroyed Wiki-eaks!

o 7erbs created; and destroyed;o 5olarity

o 6alanced sentence str*ct*re

• Daniel Do%scheit&6er": “Wiki-eaks has #ecome what it detests and what

it actually tried to rid the world of … We must get away from thisunderstanding that we see Julian as the sa$iour& as some no#le guru& assome new hero or some new pop star or whate$er thatLs going to changeall of it The credit is undue . e$ery#ody cele#rating Julian as awhistle#lower . he is not . radley 'anning might ha$e #een awhistle#lower And if he was& he is the courageous guy +e is the one thattook all the risk and& in the end& now is suering!

o 5olarityo $odalityo Stills of "raRtio 'onnotations savio*r; and "*r*; pop star;o $annin": risk;. s*)erin"; link to savio*r;

'hapter 1I8$annin"s prison experience9

'hapter 1B'oncl*sion:(ick Davies: “Deople who don%t like the leak try to say that it was damagingnational security +a$e you e$er seen any e$idence that American nationalsecurity has #een damaged in any way #y this?! @eadine fro% /he G*ardian: “Wiki-eaks has caused little lasting damage& says 56

state department!

'*t at xxx: title slide <*antico 7A; rally: -ree6radley $annin"




@illary 'linton: “-etLs #e clear This disclosure is not 1ust anattack on America%s foreign policy interests& it is an attack onthe international community!

a%es 6all: The 8uestion #ecomes: does it matter and what changes? " thinkreally we ha$e to say that something has started& and itLs not going to #e a#outWiki-eaks& itLs going to #e a#out transparency and accounta#ility and keeping power in check keeping go$ernments responsi#le ; and who cares who does it&as long as someone does?!

6ill >eonard. for%er (SA and '#A director: “"nformation #y its $ery nature needs

to ,ow "n some regards withholding information is trying to repeal the laws ofgra$ity Gou may succeed for a short period of time #ut sooner or later itLs goingto #reak through! Alex Gibney: GouLre talking 1ust like a hacker!

5ale 6l*e Dot: “#radassMN: OLP“ NGentle sad piano %*sic slowly ends. as thee%oticon lin"ers on the screen. and then fades o*t! (ark screen with a pale #luedot in the middle= KThat%s home&K said 6agan& Kthat%s us ; e$ery saint and sinnerin the history of our species li$ed thereO on a mote of dust& suspended on asun#eam "n our o#scurity& in all this $astness& there is no hint that help will comefrom elsewhere to sa$e us from oursel$es "t is up to usK

Shot of *niverse Koo%in" o*t X$annin": “" … care?! Whatdoes this choice as the +nali%a"e of the +l% s*""estabo*t Assan"e,

'hapter 20'redits

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