Foley documentary to make world premiere in US – Sanders endorses ‘Big Short’

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NEW YORK, Jan 6, (AFP): A documentary about the US journalist James Foley, who was beheaded by the Islamic State extremist group in 2014, will make its world premiere this month, HBO said Tuesday.

The premium cable network, which has acquired US TV rights to “Jim: The James Foley Story,” said the documentary will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival before airing on HBO on February 6.

The 40-year-old freelance journalist was captured in Syria in 2012 and killed in August 2014. Video of his murder triggered worldwide outrage.

He had reported for GlobalPost, Agence France-Presse and other outlets from Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.

Directed by Brian Oakes, the documentary tells of Foley’s life, death and legacy, HBO said.

“Made with unparalleled access, ‘Jim: The James Foley Story’ is a harrowing chronicle of bravery, compassion and pain at the dawn of America’s war with ISIS,” the network added.

Captivity

The film will debut in the US documentary competition at Sundance, the film festival held in Park City, Utah that opens on January 21.

HBO described Oakes as a close childhood friend of Foley.

The film includes interviews with family, friends and fellow journalists and “never-before-heard details” of his captivity revealed by fellow hostages, the network said.

“I made this film to carry on the stories that Jim needed us to know,” Oakes said in a statement released by HBO.

“It’s important that we understand the significant role of today’s conflict journalists and why they risk their lives to tell the world how bad it can be.”

Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders said 110 journalists were killed around the world in 2015, including 10 in Syria.

HBO is a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and its programming is available in more than 60 countries.

HBO has acquired “Jim: The James Foley Story,” a documentary that chronicles the life, death and legacy of American frontline journalist James Foley who was kidnapped and killed by ISIS, sending shockwaves through the world in 2014.

“James Foley is America’s son,” comments Sheila Nevins, president of HBO Documentary Films. “If this story doesn’t move you, nothing can.”

The story the doc will tell encompasses everything surrounding Foley’s haunting abduction and murder that made national headlines and introduced much of the world to ISIS when his infamous execution video was released in 2014, after he had been kidnapped in Syria on Thanksgiving Day 2012, going missing for two years. In the film, fellow hostages will reveal never-before-heard details of Foley’s captivity. Through interviews with his family, friends and fellow journalists, details of Foley’s life will be shared, chronicling a story of bravery, compassion and pain at the head of America’s war with ISIS.

For Oakes, a childhood friend of Foley, the doc marks his first solo-directed film.

“I made this film to carry on the stories that Jim needed us to know,” Oakes said. “It’s important that we understand the significant role of today’s conflict journalists and why they risk their lives to tell the world how bad it can be.”

Also:

LOS ANGELES: “The Big Short” takes on Wall Street, the banking lobby and a weak regulatory environment in a way that taps into the anger over corporate cronyism.

So it can’t be much of a surprise that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has given the movie his blessing. His campaign has been laser focused on the Wall Street corruption that is depicted in the movie.

On Monday the campaign tweeted out a video of a woman asking Sanders, “Have you seen ‘The Big Short’?

“Damn right I have,” Sanders responds.

“Excellent film,” Sanders adds. “My wife and I, we used to go to movies a lot. Last eight months we have gone twice. One of the films that we did see is ‘The Big Short.’”

The director of the movie, Adam McKay, endorsed Sanders’ presidential bid last year and has contributed to his campaign.

The movie is based on Michael Lewis’ book, and centers on the financial investors and hedge fund managers who bet against the housing market in advance of the crash in 2008.

 Along with Oakes directing, the doc is produced by produced by Eva Lipman, George Kunhardt and Teddy Kunhardt, and exec produced by Peter Kunhardt who commented, “This film is the work of a talented team of young filmmakers. I am very proud of it, and pleased that HBO is once again our partner.”

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