CITY OF GHOSTS
Matthew Heineman captures a courageous group of citizen journalists and their struggle to expose the truth behind ISIS.
Festival Section:
US Documentary Competition
Sundance Program Description:
A real life international thriller, CITY OF GHOSTS exposes a new type of warfare: a battle over ideas, a fight for hearts and minds, a conflict over clicks and views. Captivating in its immediacy, it follows the journey of “Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently” – a handful of anonymous activists who banded together after their homeland was taken over by ISIS in 2014. With astonishing, deeply personal access, this is the story of a brave group of citizen journalists as they face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile, risking their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today.
Directed, produced, and filmed by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman (CARTEL LAND, 2015 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award), CITY OF GHOSTS is a singularly powerful cinematic experience that is sure to shake audiences to their core as it elevates the canon of one of the most talented and exciting documentary filmmakers working today.
Some Background:
Director/Producer/Cinematographer/Editor:
Past Sundance docs:
CARTEL LAND (2015)
ESCAPE FIRE (2012)
This is the multihyphenate’s fourth doc feature, and his third to screen at Sundance following the Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning, and Sundance twice-awarded CARTEL LAND, and the Emmy-nominated ESCAPE FIRE.
Co-Producers:
Past Sundance docs:
CARTEL LAND (co-producer/editor)
GIDEON’S ARMY (2013, editor)
IF A TREE FALLS (2011, editor)
Hamachek, who is also one of the film’s editors, has twice won the US Documentary Editing Award.
Okun served as a post-production supervisor on CARTEL LAND and co-producer of Heineman’s doc short THE THIRD MAN. He previously produced the Tribeca title THE CARRIER, the first film by another 2017 Sundance filmmaker, Maggie Betts.
Seidler, the daughter of Academy Award-winning screenwriter David Seidler (THE KING’S SPEECH), also served as a co-producer on THE THIRD MAN short.
This marks Cruz’s first Sundance credit.
Executive Producers:
Past Sundance docs:
THE NEW YORKER PRESENTS (2016)
GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF (2015)
FINDING FELA! (2014)
HISTORY OF THE EAGLES PART ONE (2013, producer)
WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS (2013)
MAGIC TRIP (2011)
CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY (2010)
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR HUNTER S THOMPSON (2008)
LOVE COMES LATELY (2008, executive producer)
NO END IN SIGHT (2007, executive producer)
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? (2006, consulting producer)
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (2005)
THE BLUES (2003, producer)
The prolific Jigsaw Productions Oscar-winning director/producer is also an executive producer of fellow 2017 US Documentary Competition title WATER & POWER: A CALIFORNIA HEIST.
Combined past Sundance docs:
LIFE, ANIMATED (2016)
AUTHOR: THE JT LEROY STORY (2016)
CARTEL LAND
BEING EVEL (2015)
HAPPY VALLEY (2014)
DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD (2015)
THE IMPOSTER (2012)
UNDER AFRICAN SKIES (2012)
CORMAN’S WORLD (2011)
MAGIC TRIP
THE TILLMAN STORY (2010)
THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE (2009)
AMERICAN TEEN (2008)
A&E SVP Thompson and EVP/General Manager Sharenow add to their impressive roster of past Sundance docs, while Heineman’s film marks EVP/Head of Programming Bryant’s first Sundance credit.
General Catalyst managing director Fialkow is also a producer of fellow 2017 US Documentary Competition title ICARUS and Documentary Premiere title BENDING THE ARC.
Past Sundance docs:
THE NEW YORKER PRESENTS
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? (2008)
Jigsaw Productions’ Offman has been an executive producer for Gibney’s most recent docs and series, including ZERO DAYS, STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE, COOKED, and DEATH ROW STORIES, and also serves in the same role for WATER & POWER.
Baird is also an executive producer on ICARUS. She previously produced Gibney’s CLIENT 9 and directed VENUS AND SERENA.
Editors:
, noted above.
Past Sundance docs:
UNLOCKING THE CAGE (2016)
CARTEL LAND
THE NOTORIOUS MR BOUT (2014)
PUSSY RIOT – A PUNK PRAYER (2013)
WHAT REMAINS (2006)
DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND (2002)
Wassermann received an Emmy nomination for his work on CARTEL LAND, and also cut WATER & POWER.
Why You Should Watch:
Heineman offers an intimate and engrossing profile of the brave Syrian figures behind Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, frankly revealing what they’ve sacrificed through their work, and spotlighting their determination to keep fighting back against ISIS despite the gravest personal risk. The film is one of three docs at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival – together with LAST MEN IN ALEPPO and CRIES FROM SYRIA – offering multiple perspectives on the Syrian civil war.
More Info:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
For Sundance screening dates and times, click the film title in the first paragraph.
To experience the festival through the eyes of this year’s filmmakers, follow my Sundance 2017 Twitter list.
what (not) to doc 
Pingback: Padre desesperado le pide ayuda a Santos por liberación de su hijo cineasta en Cuba