#13. The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Directors: Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
Distributor: Rights Available.
Buzz: A perfect companion piece to plenty of feature films at the fest, if I’m going to throw in a talking heads documentary film into the TIFF mix, then I might as well make it count. What more fun then to dig in our collective past and look at major blemish/bright spot in U.S. history than to do it via the POV of the person with the brass b****. The doc receives its theatrical release at the Film Forum this month.
The Gist: In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist, concludes that the war is based on decades of lies and leaks 7,000 pages of top secret documents to The New York Times, making headlines around the world. Hailed as a hero, vilified as a traitor, and ostracized by even his closest colleagues, Ellsberg risks life in prison to stop a war he helped plan. This riveting story of one man’s profound change of heart is also a piercing look at the world of government secrecy as revealed by the ultimate insider. Marked by a landmark battle between America’s greatest newspapers and its president — that goes to the Supreme Court — this political thriller unravels a saga that leads directly to Watergate, Nixon’s resignation and the end of the Vietnam War.
TIFF Schedule: Click here for screening times
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