This documentary is essentially a compilation of eight days of footage shot by Laura Poitras (the director) of Edward Snowden immediately before, during, and immediately after he exposed secret NSA documents revealing that the U.S. government, in association with other intelligence agencies worldwide, was conducting illegal mass surveillance of U.S. residents as well as certain foreign targets. Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald travel to Hong Kong, where Snowden has fled, and interview him about various points, including his motives for choosing to leak classified information and his expectations of the aftermath of his actions. Sprinkled throughout the film is also footage of several court proceedings, in the U.S. and abroad, of matters pertaining to illegal government surveillance. The film was fascinating in the sense that it provided an exclusive look at the critical moments of one of the most significant scandals in recent history and tapped into the mindset of the divisive figure behind it. However, the documentary didn't really reveal anything new or original that we hadn't already read in the papers; its uniqueness comes from that exclusive access that the director had to Snowden in June 2013. While it is certainly an interesting documentary, profiling a very polarizing topic, it didn't blow me away.
Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B
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