“The Belief Fall: Julian Assange”! This documentary was launched final 12 months, however have you ever occurred upon it? Nicely, you should have, because it was narrated by the legendary Kelly Slater, the king of the waves boasting a formidable 11 world browsing titles. And guess who else lent their voices to this riveting documentary? Pink Floyd frontman, Roger Waters, and the rapper, M.I.A. However pause for a second, amidst all this star energy, who precisely is Julian Assange?
Julian Assange is an Australian editor, writer, and activist, most notably referred to as the founding father of WikiLeaks in 2006. His journey into the limelight started at a younger age, with early recognition within the Nineties as one among Australia’s most adept h*kers. Nevertheless, his focus shifted in the direction of making a platform devoted to revealing info for the sake of transparency and holding highly effective people and establishments accountable. WikiLeaks turned well-known for releasing an unlimited quantity of confidential paperwork, movies, clandestine emails, and personal conversations involving influential folks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues under this advert
In 2019, Julian Assange’s authorized troubles escalated when the U.S. authorities accused him of espionage. They claimed he helped a U.S. Military intelligence analyst hack right into a Pentagon laptop and leak secret info. This led to a fancy and high-stakes authorized battle, leading to his imprisonment at London’s Belmarsh Jail since 2019. Nevertheless, as of June twenty fourth, his 62-month sentence has been accomplished, and he was launched in the present day.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues under this advert
Impressed by Julian Assange’s journey, filmmaker Kym Staton created a documentary that delves deep into Assange’s life and controversies. However why did skilled surfer Kelly Slater, a determine far faraway from politics, narrate this story? How is a surfer related to a whistleblower’s story?
What made Kelly Slater the proper voice for Assange’s story?
In 2023, Kelly Slater expressed sturdy assist for Julian Assange in an Instagram publish, stating, “He [Assange] put out info folks didn’t need being put out nevertheless it was all truthful and I don’t know the way you fault a man for placing out the reality.” This endorsement caught the eye of filmmaker Kym Staton, who noticed in Slater a passionate advocate for reality and transparency.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues under this advert
Staton determined to deliver Slater on board to relate the documentary about Assange. He defined, “Having an expert surfer sportsperson might seem to be an odd alternative for a political movie, nevertheless, please keep in mind that this movie goals to coach a really broad viewers in regards to the vital points surrounding the Assange predicament, and the most effective methods to achieve a wider viewers is thru position fashions and folks with a big following and fan base who may in any other case by no means take the time to observe a political movie. ”
By involving numerous figures like Kelly Slater, Staton aimed to leverage their affect to focus on Assange’s story to new and broader audiences, making it a strategic and advertising and marketing transfer to achieve folks from numerous walks of life.him