New trailer for hotly anticipated documentary 'The Dissident' follows weeks leading up to Khashoggi's murder
New trailer for hotly anticipated documentary 'The Dissident' follows weeks leading up to Khashoggi's murder
Khashoggi documentary, The Dissident, dives into the late journalist's career, how and why he became persona non grata in Saudi Arabia.
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A trailer for the documentary has dropped [Getty]
The trailer for the hotly anticipated documentary The Dissident, about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, has been released and looks set to bring fresh attention to the Saudi journalist's murder two-years-ago, which remains clouded by mystery.
Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, with the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman linked to his murder, according to Turkish and US intelligence.
The documentary, which was first shown at the last Sundance Film Festival, has finally been acquired for US distribution by Briarcliff Entertainment.
Even though The Dissident is directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Bryan Fogel (Icarus), movie distributors have been hesitant to be involved in the project as it might alienate Saudi Arabia.
The documentary synopsis on IMDB reads: "When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up."
The film follows Khashoggi and his actions prior to his death at the hands of Saudi agents at the kingdom's embassy in Turkey, 2018, where he had gone to collect a marriage certificate.
Fogel's film will screen unseen surveillance footage and access to information the public was not previously privy to.
The late journalist’s fiancé, Hatice Cengiz is featured in the documentary, as is the UN Special Rapporteur who led the inquiry into the assassination.
"As we approach the second anniversary of Jamal’s death with no official repudiation, my hope is that this film will enshrine his memory as well as ensure that justice is served, and that our society no longer turns a blind eye to the brutal human rights violations committed by the Saudi regime," Fogel said.
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"I am thrilled that the film will receive a truly independent release, detached from corporate and special interests, so that we can authentically work towards these worthy outcomes."
Agnès Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions and who investigated Khashoggi's murder, gave a positive review of the movie.
"The Dissident denounces the Saudi state, but also the complicity, the silence, the apologists, and the cowards who have failed to act in the aftermath of Jamal’s execution," she told Deadline.
"Having worked closely with Bryan Fogel for more than a year, I witnessed first hand his deep commitment to investigating and presenting the complete picture, to memorializing the truth and to seeking justice.
"And all of this while being inherently respectful to those whose stories he tells. The Dissident is an irrepressible moral plea for human rights and human dignity."
The film does not yet have a release date.
You can view the trailer, below:
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