Oscar winning 'Citizenfour' to be shown Friday in Geneva

On Friday, Nov. 20, the Academy Award-winning film "Citizenfour" will be shown as part of the free "Friday Flicks" series at 6:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, 110 S. Second St. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the monthly event will be held one week earlier.

Watch history unfold in this riveting movie about National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden. The movie was filmed, directed, and produced by Laura Poitras, the first person who listened to Snowden's concerns. The film will be introduced by Laura's aunt and uncle, Gail and George Tattersfield, who are members of the church.

The Tattersfields proudly describe their niece as a brave visionary who relentlessly pursues authentic stories which need to be told. Following Sept. 11, 2001, Poitras made three films showing the stories of people affected by terrorism. In "My Country, My Country," she introduced an Iraqi doctor; in "The Oath," she captured the stories of two Yemeni men, one of whom was incarcerated on Guantanamo. For her third film, she had planned to focus on the NSA when Snowden learned of her plans and contacted her.

Poitras' contact with subjects of her films has attracted the attention of the U.S. government, and she has been detained and questioned repeatedly when she has tried to enter or leave the United State. At one time, she was told by airport security her "'threat rating' was the highest the Department of Homeland Security assigns."

Her aunt and uncle are happy to report that the filmmaker has been permitted to return to the United States, where she is working on a full floor display about surveillance at the Whitney Museum in New York.

The film is part of the free monthly fourth-Friday film program that is sponsored by the Social Justice Team of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva. The public is encouraged to register at uusg.org/friday-flicks/ to receive email notices of future programs.