THE FOREVER PRISONER
US, 2021, 120 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Alex Gibney.
Alex Gibney is one of America’s finest documentary makers, prolific in the range of topics that he explores, from Lance Armstrong and his drug deceit to sexual abuse, Mea Culpa… to Scientology.
This is a film about American torture, specifically in Guantánamo and in the various secret locations set up by the CIA, here specifically in Thailand. It is not the first time that Gibney has taken up the theme of American politics, the CIA and American torture. It was the theme of his Oscar-winning Taxi to the Dark Side, probing during the 2000s, torture in Bagram, and Abu Graihb, Guantánamo. This documentary spans a decade, the establishment of torture, especially waterboarding, the subsequent use of this torture and, in 2017, interviews with several authorities who promoted the torture or who approved it.
The particular focus is on the well-known subject of waterboarding, Abu Zubaydah, the Palestinian terrorist who worked during the 1990s, linked with Al Qaeda, arrested, imprisoned, tortured – and still in prison, forever, even though never charged. And he is known for his sketches of his experience – which are featured in this film.
On the one hand, there are interviews with military officials, political officials, clips of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, discussing the atmosphere after 9/11. And, much is made of the planning of 9/11, of the effect on the American public, on public opinion, on political decisions, on the war on terror, on the approval of torture for prisoners, allegedly beyond the Geneva Convention. Particularly strong – and alarming – is a television interview at Camp David with George Tenet, head of the CIA at the time, no holds barred concerning torture.
A great deal of the film is given to explanations of waterboarding, how it is done, the various effects of the person being interrogated, the amount of water, the time pouring, absorption by the victim, brought to panic and almost drowning. And with the sketches and diagrams.
Of particular interest and moving beyond Taxi to the Dark Side, are the detailed interviews with José Rodriguez, head of the Centre for Counterterrorism at the time of the torture, his being questions in 2017, his answers, his shifting of responsibilities, his rather calm responses to what are the equivalent of accusations. And, of particular interest, are the interviews with James Mitchell, a psychologist, brought in with his associate Dr Bruce Jessen, to oversee the treatment of prisoners, especially the waterboarding. There are excerpts from Mitchell at the time of the torture as well as of interrogations in 2016-2017. He explains himself as a patriot, working on the waterboarding with the approval of the American government, cautious at times as regards the procedure, water and danger of drowning, suggesting limits. After the abandonment of waterboarding, he and his colleague received an $81 million contract with the American government to explore methods for interrogation and security. Mitchell justified his work because it saved American lives.
Most audiences will be repulsed by this story of torture and waterboarding, a reminder of American torture in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and…
One of the key interviewees of the film is Daniel P.Jones, given the task by the government for Senate investigations into torture, working over several years, finally presenting a report. His work was dramatised in the, unfortunately, little seen drama, The Report, featuring Adam Driver as Jones and Anette Bening as Senator Dianne Feinstein. In the film, James Mitchell was played by Douglas Hodge.
Themes of torture have been the feature of a number of feature films, allegations of justification in Zero Dark Thirty (as in this documentary), the torture in The Mauritanian and, ultimately, going to back to Abu Graihb and scenes of torture in Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter.
This is the kind of documentary that every American should see, that audiences concerned about American behaviour, CIA, torture, Guantánamo, should see and reflect on.
