{"id":18053,"date":"2021-02-01T09:05:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T09:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amplify.nabshow.com\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=18053"},"modified":"2024-09-15T18:30:20","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T18:30:20","slug":"the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/articles\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Dissident:\u201d Producing a Real-Life, Real-Time Political Thriller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" data-attachment-id=\"169117\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/articles\/filmmaker-finds-an-unlikely-underwater-friend-in-my-octopus-teacher-source-npr\/dissident01\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1200,630\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dissident01\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. Cr. Briarcliff Entertainment\/Jamal Khashoggi&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?fit=1024%2C538&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?resize=1200%2C630&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-169117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?resize=300%2C158&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?resize=1024%2C538&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?resize=768%2C403&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg?resize=640%2C336&amp;ssl=1 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. Cr. Briarcliff Entertainment\/Jamal Khashoggi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns article-content is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The disappearance of Saudi Arabian dissident and <em>Washington Post<\/em> columnist Jamal Khashoggi shocked the world in October 2018, unfolding in a months-long murder investigation filled with grisly details that ultimately exposed a global cover-up by the royal family. The gruesome assassination \u2014 along with Saudi Arabia\u2019s efforts to control international dissent \u2014 is the subject of a gripping new documentary, <em>The Dissident<\/em>, directed and produced by Bryan Fogel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THE DISSIDENT | Official Trailer | NOW PLAYING IN THEATRES, AT HOME ON DEMAND JAN 8\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2I6hjwblA_g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Impressing audiences during its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, <em>The Dissident<\/em> exerts storytelling power, using cinematic editing, pacing and cinematography to lead viewers through the complex narrative. \u201cWith lots of information on spycraft and surveillance, <em>The Dissident<\/em> plays out more like a thriller,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/goingoutguide\/movies\/the-dissident-movie-review\/2020\/12\/19\/91171d3c-3f22-11eb-8db8-395dedaaa036_story.html\">Michael O\u2019Sullivan<\/a> writes in his review for the <em>Washington Post<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/goingoutguide\/movies\/the-dissident-movie-review\/2020\/12\/19\/91171d3c-3f22-11eb-8db8-395dedaaa036_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The new documentary on Jamal Khashoggi\u2019s murder plays out like a spy thriller (<em>Washington Post<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fogel, who previously won an Academy Award for his 2017 documentary <em>Icarus<\/em>, draws inspiration from filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Paul Greengrass, \u201cwho employ classic cinematic techniques to build tension through the use of sound, music, graphics and design to engage the audience,\u201d as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaplaynews.com\/talent-talk-oscar-winner-bryan-fogel-sheds-light-on-the-murder-of-saudi-journalist-jamal-khashoggi-in-the-dissident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anna Marie De La Fuente<\/a> writes in <em>Media Play News<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you can engage audiences through the storytelling, those great cinematic techniques will shine through and make people care about the story and its characters, and if they do that, then perhaps there lies the ability to bring about change,\u201d Fogel said to De La Fuente.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaplaynews.com\/talent-talk-oscar-winner-bryan-fogel-sheds-light-on-the-murder-of-saudi-journalist-jamal-khashoggi-in-the-dissident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Talent Talk: Oscar-Winner Bryan Fogel Sheds Light on the Murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi in \u2018The Dissident\u2019 (<em>Media Play News<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/B_200615_TheDissident-LR.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18058\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. Cr. Briarcliff Entertainment\/Jake Swantko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe film opens like a suspenseful 1970s crime thriller, under grey skies of Montreal, where a Saudi blogger, Omar Abdulaziz, speaks nervously on the phone,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentary.org\/online-feature\/dissident-giving-voice-silenced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Darianna Cardilli<\/a> writes in <em>Documentary Magazine<\/em>. \u201cWe learn that his anti-regime tweets have led first to his exile, then an attempted rendition, and lastly the imprisonment of his brothers. The documentary skillfully weaves together different narrative strands, until they coalesce: the investigation of a crime scene, a love story and a political thriller.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Access and trust were the two biggest variables in deciding to proceed with the film, Fogel tells Cardilli:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cIn order to tell this story, I needed the participation of the Turks. If they were not going to allow me access, then I\u2019d be telling an archival story, a story that\u2019s already in the news. To this day, none of these people \u2014 \u0130rfan Fidan, the chief prosecutor; Abd\u00fclhamit G\u00fcl, the justice minister; Recep Kili\u00e7, the police CSI forensic examiner; Fahrettin Altun, the president\u2019s spokesperson \u2014 have given an interview or appeared on camera. But I knew that if I didn\u2019t have that, it wasn\u2019t going be the film that I wanted it to be, and I couldn\u2019t tell the story as impactfully.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentary.org\/online-feature\/dissident-giving-voice-silenced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u2018The Dissident\u2019: Giving Voice to the Silenced (<em>Documentary Magazine<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/The-Dissident-02-LR.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18059\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. Cr. Briarcliff Entertainment\/Jake Swantko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To capture footage for <em>The Dissident<\/em>, Fogel reteamed with <em>Icarus<\/em> cinematographer Jake Swantko. \u201cOnce Bryan said \u2018Let\u2019s make this,\u2019 there wasn\u2019t a lot of time to sit around and talk about how to make it look, because the story was still happening,\u201d Swantko said in an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/ascmag.com\/articles\/documenting-the-dissident\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Terry McCarthy<\/a> for <em>American Cinematographer<\/em>. \u201cWe had to go and film the interviews \u2014 with Omar in Canada, and then in Turkey. But then I thought to myself, \u2018What kind of look do I want?\u2019 I decided to go with the Red Weapon Epic 6K and Panavision Primo SL Series T1.9 primes, and make it a slightly dark thriller \u2014 which is what it was. Bryan trusts my instincts in that respect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat Paul Greengrass did in the <em>Bourne<\/em> movies was a real inspiration for us,\u201d Fogel added. \u201cThey feel so real, with huge v\u00e9rit\u00e9 elements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The film features three principal interview subjects: Khashoggi\u2019s associate, Omar Abdulaziz, who was in touch with Khashoggi just hours before he was killed; Khashoggi\u2019s fianc\u00e9e, Hatice Cengiz, who waited for hours outside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul in vain; and Irfan Fidan, the Turkish chief prosecutor who investigated the murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of Swantko\u2019s main challenges during production was evoking a sense of intimacy with the interviewees through the camera. \u201cWe aimed for a place where the subject is telling their story as an active participant, not just sitting for an interview with someone who flies in,\u201d Swantko told McCarthy, noting that he spent considerable time blocking each interview, including two to three hours of setup time. \u201cI told the crew that this isn\u2019t a run-or-gun situation,\u00b4 Swantko said. \u201cWe needed bigger locations \u2014 rooms over 1,000 square feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/The-Dissident-01-LR.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18060\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. Cr. Briarcliff Entertainment\/Jake Swantko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To create a dramatic look, Swantko wanted to be able to move the camera in and out on subjects\u2019 faces, setting up a dolly on a four-foot track. There were also cameras positioned over Fogel\u2019s shoulder and at a three-quarter angle from the shoulders up. \u201cThe dolly gave me three different shots,\u201d the DP detailed, \u201ca low wide close-up at the end of the rail, a medium shot in the middle, and a low medium shot at the back of the rails.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want more on the cinematography of <em>The Dissident<\/em>? Watch Fogel and Swantko discuss the making of the film with Buddy Squires, ASC as part of the \u201cASC Clubhouse Conversations\u201d series on Vimeo: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/493971016\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Dissident: Writer-Director Bryan Fogel and Cinematographer Jake Swantko<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/ascmag.com\/articles\/documenting-the-dissident\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Documenting <em>The Dissident<\/em> (<em>American Cinematographer<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following on the heels of Showtime documentary <em>Kingdom of Silence<\/em>, which aired in October, <em>The Dissident<\/em> holds few new revelations, but benefits from exclusive access to Cengiz and Abdulaziz, as well as interviews with Istanbul forensic police and other Turkish officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>The Dissident<\/em> inevitably recounts Khashoggi\u2019s murder, but takes place largely in the present tense and you come to see how his legacy lives on as well as the threats that ultimately took his life,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/moveablefest.com\/bryan-fogel-the-dissident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stephen Saito<\/a> writes in <em>Moveable Feast<\/em>. As Fogel learned more about Khashoggi, it became clear that \u201cthis guy was a moderate,\u201d as he recounts to Saito about his decision to make the film:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cHe wasn\u2019t a friend of ISIS or a terrorist sympathizer. Yes, he had met Bin Laden in the \u201880s, but that\u2019s when the United States was friends with Bin Laden and I had multiple researchers who were fluent in Arabic, looking up who he was and his writings and reading his old books on top of his writings for the <em>Washington Post<\/em>. What [I learned was Khoshoggi] was a moderate who was so driven to have a freedom of speech and a freedom of opinion and saw that his country was going down the wrong path. He was willing to put himself into self-exile and risk his life to bring about some semblance of freedom of press as he saw his own government push forward their false narrative and take over Twitter and jail countless journalists and anyone who dared have a differing opinion to Mohammed bin Salman. That is what made me want to take on this film.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"http:\/\/moveablefest.com\/bryan-fogel-the-dissident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Interview: Bryan Fogel on Bringing to Light an Invisible War in \u201cThe Dissident\u201d (<em>Moveable Feast<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" data-attachment-id=\"18061\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/c_200615_thedissident-lr\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/C_200615_TheDissident-LR.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1200,628\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;A still from &lt;i&gt;The Dissident&lt;\/i&gt; by Bryan Fogel, an official selection of the Documentary Premieres program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jacob Swantko.\\n\\nAll photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and\/or &#039;Courtesy of Sundance Institute.&#039; Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and\/or photos is strictly prohibited.&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and\/or &#039;Courtesy of Sundance Institute.&#039; Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and\/or photos is strictly prohibited.&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"C_200615_TheDissident-LR\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/C_200615_TheDissident-LR.jpg?fit=1024%2C536&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/C_200615_TheDissident-LR.jpg?resize=1200%2C628&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18061\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. Cr. Briarcliff Entertainment\/Jake Swantko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A major portion of the film is dedicated to explaining the Saudi Arabian government\u2019s role in online surveillance and manipulation, including on Twitter, which \u201ccould be the next stage of global warfare,\u201d as <a href=\"https:\/\/thespool.net\/reviews\/movies\/the-dissident-jamal-khashoggi-documentary-review\/\">Sean Price<\/a> writes in <em>The Spool<\/em>. \u201cFogel shows how the Crown Prince creates his own army of Twitter trolls, known as \u2018The Flies,\u2019 who manipulate the platform\u2019s algorithms to make pro-regime posts trend while drowning out any tweets that may be critical of Salman,\u201d Price notes. \u201c[Omar] Abdulaziz returns the favor by creating his own army of Twitter warriors, known as \u2018The Bees,\u2019 to counter The Flies with tweets that espouse freedom of speech.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THE DISSIDENT - A Conversation with Director Bryan Fogel &amp; Political Activist Bill Browder\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/--izG4bknnU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/thespool.net\/reviews\/movies\/the-dissident-jamal-khashoggi-documentary-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cThe Dissident\u201d is a gripping look at Jamal Khashoggi\u2019s murder (<em>The Spool<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fogel recounts how the royal family sought to control online messaging in Saudi Arabia in an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/12\/26\/950360668\/film-maker-discusses-new-documentary-on-murdered-journalist-jamal-khashoggi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sacha Pfeiffer<\/a> for NPR, including how Khashoggi had been complicating those efforts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cI think this is one of the major reasons why he was ultimately murdered. And this was a real concern to the old guard in that region, especially the Saudis and the Emirates that really had a hold on power. And what they realized was that if you could essentially control the public sphere on Twitter, that you could control the narrative and in controlling the narrative, essentially quash freedom of speech, stop protests and essentially protect your monarchy.<\/strong><br><br><strong>\u201cSo Saudi Arabia starts implementing a policy where they begin to hire hundreds and ultimately thousands of people and call them Twitter trolls, I guess is the best word for it. And what this means is if Jamal Khashoggi was sending out a tweet saying, I disagree with MBS on such and such \u2014 right? \u2014 the very next thing \u2014 his Twitter feed is flooded with hundreds and hundreds of comments. You\u2019re a traitor. You\u2019re not a real Saudi. You have no idea what you\u2019re talking about. And so Jamal\u2019s voice was lost as well as anybody dissenting against MBS. And the Saudi narrative is what is trending on Twitter.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/12\/26\/950360668\/film-maker-discusses-new-documentary-on-murdered-journalist-jamal-khashoggi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Film Maker Discusses New Documentary On Murdered Journalist Jamal Khashoggi (NPR)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident02.jpg?resize=1280%2C720&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18063\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. Cr. Briarcliff Entertainment\/Jake Swantko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite an enthusiastic reception at Sundance, every major studio and streaming service passed on the film, and Fogel initially struggled to find distribution for <em>The Dissident<\/em>. It was finally picked up by Briarcliff Entertainment for a limited theatrical engagement in December followed by a video-on-demand release in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was very disappointed by the fear and cowardice. It\u2019s everyone \u2014 Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Hulu and all the theatrical distributors,\u201d Fogel commented to the <em>Los Angeles Times<\/em>\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/awards\/story\/2021-01-04\/the-dissident-jamal-khashoggi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stuart Miller<\/a>. \u201cSaudi Arabia has one of the world\u2019s largest sovereign funds for investment and they\u2019re the money behind SoftBank and they invest in Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/awards\/story\/2021-01-04\/the-dissident-jamal-khashoggi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Filmmaker tracks the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in \u2018The Dissident\u2019 (<em>Los Angeles Times<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA film by an Oscar-winning filmmaker would normally garner plenty of attention from streaming services, which have used documentaries and niche movies to attract subscribers and earn awards,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/24\/business\/media\/dissident-jamal-khashoggi-netflix-amazon.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nicole Sperling<\/a> observes in the <em>New York Times<\/em>. \u201cInstead, when Mr. Fogel\u2019s film, <em>The Dissident<\/em>, was finally able to find a distributor after eight months, it was with an independent company that had no streaming platform and a much narrower reach,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese global media companies are no longer just thinking, \u2018How is this going to play for U.S. audiences?\u201d Fogel told Sperling. \u201cThey are asking: \u2018What if I put this film out in Egypt? What happens if I release it in China, Russia, Pakistan, India?\u2019 All these factors are coming into play, and it\u2019s getting in the way of stories like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/12\/24\/business\/media\/dissident-jamal-khashoggi-netflix-amazon.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">An Oscar Winner Made a Khashoggi Documentary. Streaming Services Didn\u2019t Want It. (<em>New York Times<\/em>)<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How director Bryan Fogel traced the fate of journalist Jamal Khashoggi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169117,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":""},"categories":[248],"class_list":["post-18053","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amplify"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u201cThe Dissident:\u201d Producing a Real-Life, Real-Time Political Thriller | Jennifer Wolfe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How the director of \u201cIcarus\u201d reteamed with cinematographer Jake Swantko to document the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cThe Dissident:\u201d Producing a Real-Life, Real-Time Political Thriller | Jennifer Wolfe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How the director of \u201cIcarus\u201d reteamed with cinematographer Jake Swantko to document the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/articles\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jennifer Wolfe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-15T18:30:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jwolfepr.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Dissident01.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WordsWolfe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/articles\\\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/articles\\\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\\\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cThe Dissident:\u201d Producing a Real-Life, Real-Time Political Thriller | Jennifer Wolfe\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/articles\\\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/articles\\\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Dissident01.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-01T09:05:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-15T18:30:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"How the director of \u201cIcarus\u201d reteamed with cinematographer Jake Swantko to document the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/articles\\\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/articles\\\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/articles\\\/the-dissident-a-real-life-real-time-political-thriller\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Dissident01.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/jwolfepr.com\\\/dev\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/Dissident01.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"A still from THE DISSIDENT by Bryan Fogel. 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