LOGLINE

 

 

BELLINGCAT – TRUTH IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD explores the promise of open source investigation, taking viewers inside the exclusive world of the “citizen investigative journalist” collective known as Bellingcat. In cases ranging from the MH17 disaster to the poisoning of a Russian spy in the United Kingdom, the Bellingcat team’s quest for truth will shed light on the fight for journalistic integrity in the era of fake news and alternative facts.

 

Running time: 88 min

TRUTH IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD

 

A FILM BY HANS POOL

 

TRAILER

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

BELLINGCAT – TRUTH IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD follows the revolutionary rise of the “citizen investigative journalist” collective known as Bellingcat, a group of online researchers dedicated to exposing the truth of impenetrable news stories from around the world – from the MH17 disaster to the Syrian Civil War to the mysterious poisoning of a Russian spy in the United Kingdom. From his Leicester home, de facto leader Eliot and his team of truth-seekers put newspapers, networks and governments to the test. Bellingcat uses cutting-edge digital techniques and crowdsourcing to create a faster, more innovative approach than traditional research journalism. For the first time, Bellingcat researchers in Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the United States have given exclusive access to filmmaker Hans Pool, allowing him to follow the group on their path to demonstrate the power of open source investigation. Bellingcat’s impact is examined through the lens of their current investigations, as well as the high-profile conflicts they’ve previously reported. In the three years since its inception, Bellingcat has produced a remarkable amount of breaking news while gaining a reputation for trailblazing journalism. When the International Criminal Court issued a landmark arrest warrant based on social media evidence, it was Bellingcat that proceeded to work on the case. Just last year, Dutch member Christiaan Triebert was awarded the European Press Prize for innovative journalism for his reporting on the failed Turkish coup. In a web of propaganda disguised as truth, what drives Bellingcat forward? With governments growing less reliable by the day and traditional newspapers declining in both relevance and reach – how does Bellingcat, dismissed by some critics as an assortment of self-funded “armchair researchers”, have the ability to force powerful world leaders to the international courts where they are held accountable for their crimes? What does their success say about how our world has changed in the face of this century’s paradigm shifting developments in government, technology and social media?

STILLS

 

 

RELEASE

AWARDS

Documentary - International Emmy Awards 2019

TV Documentary - Prix Europa Nomination 2019

Humanitarian Award Feature - Raven Awards Docutah 2019

RTBF Award - Festival des Libertes 2019

Global Awareness Award - Thin Line Fest 2019

Best Documentary Film - The Golden Frame Awards / Rab Film Festival 2019

Jury Prize for Best Feature - San Francisco DocFest Awards 2019

 

FESTIVAL SELECTIONS 2019

IDFA 2018 (World Premiere)

SXSW (International premiere)

Human Rights Watch Film Festival London (European premiere)

CPH:DOX

HotDocs

DOK.fest München

Melbourne IFF

True/False festival

Docudays

One World

Millenium Docs Against Gravity

Doc Edge Festival

Mostra Sao Paulo

Zurich IFF

Bergen IFF

San Francisco Documentary Festival

DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival

Human Rights Watch Film Festivals in US & Germany

(and more)

QUOTES

 

“Cutting-edge documentary”

 

“An exciting look at one such group of self-appointed fact finders”

 

“A John Le Carré spy movie”

 

 

PRESS

 

Download the presskit NL (PDF)

Download the presskit EN (PDF)

 

 

DISTRIBUTION - BENELUXPERISCOOP FILMWiepko Oosterhuis - wiepko@periscoopfilm.nlTelephone: +31 (0)20 820 49 40

 

 

SALESUS Represented by: CAAAmanda Lebow - amanda.lebow@caa.comcaa.com ROW sales agent: CINEPHILPhilippa Kowarsky - philippa@cinephil.comcinephil.com

 

 

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

 

Download the viewing guide EN (PDF)

 

CREDITS

 

This is a Submarine production in co-production with VPRO. This film was made with the support of NPO Fund, the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, CoBO Fund and Doc Society Circle.

WRITTEN, Directed & CAMERA BY

Hans Pool

 

Producers

Femke Wolting

Bruno Felix

 

Sound

Pepijn Aben

 

Editor

Simon Barker

 

Research & editorial

Sasha Ourikh

Yula Altchouler

 

Music

Frank Wienk (Binkbeats)

Conversations with

Eliot Higgins

Christiaan Triebert

Hadi Al-Khatib

Veli-Pekka Kivimäki

Timmi Allen

Aric Toler

 

Roman Dovrokhotov

Alexa Koenig

Wilbert Paulissen

Moritz Rakuszitzky

Jay Rosen

Claire Wardle

Aidan White

 

© 2018 Submarine Amsterdam / VPRO - All Rights Reserved

BELLINGCAT – TRUTH IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD explores the promise of open source investigation, taking viewers inside the exclusive world of the “citizen investigative journalist” collective known as Bellingcat. In cases ranging from the MH17 disaster to the poisoning of a Russian spy in the United Kingdom, the Bellingcat team’s quest for truth will shed light on the fight for journalistic integrity in the era of fake news and alternative facts.

 

Runtime: 88 min