With his previous film Icarus, Bryan Fogel shocked sports fans, and the world, exposing Russia’s expansive, state-sponsored doping operation. The film was the catalyst for sweeping change, the consequences still reverberating 4+ years after the film’s release.
In addition to bringing him Oscar gold, Icarus catapulted Fogel into the upper-echelon of documentarians, rightfully labeling him a visionary and one of the industries great talents. Fogel immediately became a prominent voice in nonfiction film. He brings the same urgency to his latest film, The Dissident – which, like Icarus speaks truth to power, as he goes up against yet another authoritarian regime. Making these films back to back is not for the faint of heart. It requires an unflinching commitment to the truth.
Fogel spent over two years in communication with Turkish authorities and those closest to Khashoggi, including his fiancé Hatice Cengiz—resulting in a documentary packed with revelations, and explicit evidence, tying Khashoggi’s murder to those highest in power in Saudi Arabia—offering a direct tie between power, money, and the curtailing of free speech within the kingdom. The Dissident is a riveting film about the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi that is, at time, so tragic and gruesome it is almost hard to watch. But it’s also impossible to look away.
In a video interview with Awards Daily’s Shadan Larki, Fogel details how he was able to earn the cooperation of high-level officials and bring forward gut-wrenching audio of Khashoggi’s final moments. He also offers his views on the future of journalism and free speech in an age of rampant misinformation and propaganda.
Watch our full conversation with Bryan Fogel below:
The Dissident is now playing OnDemand.
