Ithaka

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Ithaka

2021

1h 55m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

73%

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15 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The world's most famous political prisoner, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, has become an emblem of an international arm wrestle over freedom of journalism, government corruption and unpunished war crimes. Now with Julian facing a 175-year sentence if extradited to the US, his family members are confronting the prospect of losing Julian forever to the abyss of the US justice system. This David-and-Goliath struggle is personal -- and, with Julian's health declining in a British maximum-security prison, the clock is ticking. Now it's up to Julian's father, John Shipton, and fiancé Stella Moris, to join forces to advocate for Julian on this international odyssey. As they rally a world-wide network of supporters and politicians, they cautiously step into the media's glare -- and are forced to confront the events that made Julian a global flashpoint.

Amy Nicholson

New York Times

It seeks to combat news media deception with evasions, half-truths and speculative accusations (the very weapons with which it suggests that Assange has been attacked).

Rated: C

Mar 23, 2023

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Owen Gleiberman

Variety

I’m sorry, but family affairs don’t tend to make for good documentaries.

Mar 4, 2023

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

People are complicated, as Shipton rightly pleads at one point, but a more spirited, vigorous defense might have helped lift “Ithaka” from its solemnly reportorial mood.

Mar 3, 2023

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Pat Mullen

POV Magazine

While Ithaka works tirelessly to correct the portrayal of Assange that’s been shaped by mass media, Lawrence has a challenge. For one, Shipton plays the reluctant hero and, admittedly, reluctant character.

Apr 7, 2023

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

Enraging, but nothing new, surprising or revealing.

Mar 24, 2023

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Liam Lacey

Original Cin

As an advocacy film for the release of Julian Assange, Ithaka is predictable but it gains substance as a human interest story about a family fighting to save a loved one.

Rated: B-

Mar 20, 2023

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Fernando P

Julian Assange is not off to fight the Trojans. He is fighting for Peace, while being persecuted for truth. He's not a Greek warrior. At least the first half of the movie is from the dad's perspective who worships Prometheus, the Greek God of War who said change only comes by war. If Assange's wife is supposed to be Penelope, they completely failed to demonstrate that point, it just not that documentary. It states what you already know while perverting the concept Assange stood for.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/20/24

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Ben Lawrence

Director

Stella Assange

Self

John Pilger

Self

John Shipton

Self

Ai Weiwei

Self

Vivienne Westwood

Self

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Synopsis

The world's most famous political prisoner, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, has become an emblem of an international arm wrestle over freedom of journalism, government corruption and unpunished war crimes. Now with Julian facing a 175-year sentence if extradited to the US, his family members are confronting the prospect of losing Julian forever to the abyss of the US justice system. This David-and-Goliath struggle is personal -- and, with Julian's health declining in a British maximum-security prison, the clock is ticking. Now it's up to Julian's father, John Shipton, and fiancé Stella Moris, to join forces to advocate for Julian on this international odyssey. As they rally a world-wide network of supporters and politicians, they cautiously step into the media's glare -- and are forced to confront the events that made Julian a global flashpoint.

Director: Ben Lawrence
Producer: Gabriel Shipton, Adrian Devant
Screenwriter: Ben Lawrence, Ben Lawrence
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Australian English
Runtime: 1h 55m