Review of We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks (2013) by Alex D — 12 Jan 2014

Years ago I remember watching a documentary about Wikileaks. It gave me a general overview of the events and details about the company as well as their rise into infamy. However it really delve to deep into that people behind the company, it did though briefly mention the molestation case. It gave me the general overview but still left holes in the story. Who were the people who helped to create this company, besides Julian Assange? What about the whistleblower Bradley Manning? What was the aftermath? Well with this new documentary it not only goes over the details in greater detail but answers all these questions thoroughly.

The documentary is well made, using a great range of different documentary techniques to keep the story moving. Interviews, personal photos, found footage, etc. The combination of these help to really grab the viewer, adding a really informative and surprisingly personal view of a lot of the main characters in the story that is wikileaks. Most of the time when hearing the story of Wikileaks, certain people like Julian Assange become bigger than life. They become more than just human, but become a figure that stands for something greater. However in this documentary it really humanizes these characters and shows that they have flaws just like the rest of us. I found that this really added a level of depth to the whole documentary.

We Steal Secrets doesn't necessarily add more to the story in terms of the actual events, however it does add more in regards to the background that influenced those events. You may know the events that transpired but if you want to learn really what drove these people check this one out.