Free Showing of "CitizenFour" at Niles Discovery Church Aug. 13

The Second Saturday Documentary Series will feature Academy Award Nominee “Citizenfour” Saturday, August 13, at Niles Discovery Church, corner of Niles Blvd. and Nursery Ave., Fremont. The 1:30 p.m. showing is free and open to the public.

Dr. Sharat Lin, president of the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, will lead the post-screening discussion.

Director Laura Poitras was working on a film about surveillance when Edward Snowden contacted her using the name “Citizenfour” in January 2013. He provided persuasive evidence that the American government was illegally invading the privacy of its citizens. When Snowden explained that he was not going to hide his identity, she convinced him to meet her in person and let her film their encounter.

Much of Snowden’s carefully choreographed release of classified documents was filmed as it happened in a hotel room in Hong Kong. Poitras and Glenn Greenwald, a reporter for Great Britain’s The Guardian, were selected by Snowden to help him break the news to the world

Snowden, Poitras, and Greenwald try to manage a media storm and the real possibility that they will be discovered, while discussing the National Security Administration’s surveillance of private citizens. Three days in a hotel room are captured with intensity, while interviews with US officials provide context.

For more information about the Second Saturday Documentary Series, visit www.nilesdiscoverychurch.org or call 510 797-0895 during business hours.

The Second Saturday Documentary Series is co-sponsored by Niles Discovery Church and the San Jose Peace & Justice Center.