ITHAKA
Australia, 2022, 111 minutes, Colour.
John Shipton, Stella Morris, Julian Sands.
Directed by Ben Lawrence.
The focus of this documentary is Julian Assange. At the time of the release of the film, WikiLeaks is 16 years old, and still active in releasing documents unmasking abuses in all kinds of areas, not just in government, war and security, but concerned with climate change and abuses, exposes of violence…
While Julian Assange does appear in this film, it is mainly through photographs or by his voice on the phone (and the audience realising that the phone provides an outlet for communication and some sanity during harsh imprisonment, including 23 hours a day lockdowns in cells).
However, the focus of attention in the film is also on a Assange’s father, John Shipton, who separated from his wife before Julian was born. After 20 years, he came back into Julian’s life and in more recent years has been a constant champion, crusader for his son’s release. His at the centre of this film which was produced by his son, Gabriel, who also appears in the latter part of the film. At the time of the film-making, Shipton was 76. So, in this sense, the film is a portrait of Shipton.
Also prominent the film is Stella Morris, initially from South Africa, her family moving to Spain, her being part of Assange’s legal team, then his fiancee and lover, mother of two children, and eventually marrying in early 2022. She is a strong personality, committed to Julian Assange and his cause and liberty. (Jennifer Robinson, who has been spokesperson for Assange over many years, is glimpsed only once, going into the court.)
The action of the film takes place after Assaange’s years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He has been confined to Belmarsh prison, harsh treatment. Visits were limited. However, over the decade there have been constant protests in his favour, all around the world. The case in point for his internment, and refusal of bail, is the American government’s demand that he be extradited to the United States on charges of treason because of his releasing so much documentation through WikiLeaks (and the famous sequence of the attack on civilians in Iraq is included at the beginning of this film).
Many people around the world have had difficulty in responding to Julian Assange and his personality, perhaps applauding his revelation of the secrets, but finding his personality difficult – and the information here that he is on the spectrum, Asperges, and long prone to depression and suicidal drives. In fact, his mental condition is a central part of the defence against his being extradited to the United States where the harsh imprisonment in Colorado would aggravate his depression and drive him towards suicide. This prevailed at the London hearing in 2021, 19 days of hearing, but the American government made an appeal.
The point is made that the investigator into the leaks came to the conclusion in 2013 that no life was lost because of the leaks.
In the background is Chelsea Manning, the information given to WikiLeaks by her and revealed. There is also an interview with Edward Snowden.
Throughout the film, there is a great deal of emphasis on the freedom of the press, whether Assange should be considered a journalist or not, and the consequences of his conviction on freedom to report by other journalists.
This is a film in support of Julian Assange, and, at the end, the listing of some governments, some officials, organisations around the world who are asking for his release.
But, in the meantime, this is an interesting and often engaging portrait of John Shipton, calm, edgy, giving myriad interviews, devoting his life to his son’s cause. The film is also a sympathetic and understanding portrait of Stella Morris and her personal and legal commitment.
There have been many documentaries and news coverage of Julian Assange – but Robert Connolly directed The Underground, 2012, a television feature about Julian Assange and his upbringing. And in 2013 there was The Fifth Estate, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Assange.
