The Fifth Estate Film will be in Theaters October 18th

 Carice van Houten and Laura Linney

Los Angeles, CA—THE FIFTH ESTATE is a Dreamworks film based on real events and deeds of blogger Julian Assange and the Wikileaks organization.  They are responsible for mass Internet release of data, videos and sensitive government cables.  The deception and intrigue by various governments is as bad as it gets.  Today Assange is a wanted man in many nations right now.  He’s a hero to many and a traitor to many more. 

One thing for sure Assange has exposed massive corruption that continues because the apathetic public does not seem to care.  We will have to wait and see whay kind of light be shown on Assange and his cohorts by the authors of this film

I must say I’m absolutely thrilled to see Carice van Houten and another favorite actress Laura Linney staring in this production.   It was filmed in Berlin along with several locations in Belgium.  I have met Linney at a SAG function and I'm looking forward to meeting van Houten.  

This is the Dreamworks created storyline:

The story begins as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) team up to become underground watchdogs of the privileged and powerful. On a shoestring, they create a platform that allows whistle-blowers to anonymously leak covert data, shining a light on the dark recesses of government secrets and corporate crimes. Soon, they are breaking more hard news than the world's most legendary media organizations combined. But when Assange and Berg gain access to the biggest trove of confidential intelligence documents in U.S. history, they battle each other and a defining question of our time: what are the costs of keeping secrets in a free society-and what are the costs of exposing them?

This film was the talk of the recent Toronto International Film Festival.

The Stars of this film:

  

             Benedict Cumberbatc--Julian Assange

             Daniel Brühl--Daniel Domscheit-Berg

             Carice van Houten--Birgitta Jónsdóttir

             Alicia Vikande--Anke

             Stanley Tucci            --James Boswell

             Laura Linney            --Sarah Shaw

            Anthony Mackie--Sam Coulson

The Berlin Portion of The Fifth Estate Spielberg Film has Wraped!, by Paul Huebl

Berlin, Germany— The principal Berlin photography involved with, The Fifth Estate is finished and now they are off to Belgium for the rest of the production.  I can’t wait to see the final product. This is yet another milestone for Studio Bablesberg located in one of my favorite cities.

Governments have a terrible habit of lying to their citizens, as they get involved in deadly adventures and intrigue that few rational people would approve.   This is a story about the failure of civilized nations to engage in honorable diplomacy.

Investigative Journalist, hacker and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange risked his life and liberty to expose the truth to the citizens of the world.  Today there is a price on Assange’s head.  The government and people of Ecuador are protecting him from imprisonment in any number of nations.

Any great effort like the wildly successful WikiLeaks website brings conflict even among friends and this film explores that and other issues.  In most circles Assange is hated and considered a traitor.  I see it differently.  I find it very difficult to accept that exposing the truth is somehow wrong. 

As a journalist Assange is a hero.  Long ago the late, George Orwell so adequately said, “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”  Assanage sure brought out the dogs when he published thousand of secret cables that exposed government treachery, dishonesty and hostility.   I can’t fault him for exposing the truth.  I don't think this film will speak well for Assange but we will wait and see. 

Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks is producing this sure to become a blockbuster film.  It’s based upon the writings of Daniel Domscheit-Berg and Luke Harding.

Film director Bill Condon molded a troupe of fine actors into this fascinating story.  Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Carice van Houten and one of my favorite American actresses Laura Linney star in this film.

I have a special fondness for the multi-talented Dutch actress Carice van Houten’s fine work.  I hope to somehow obtain a video interview with her about the challenges she’s faced in her career when she visits Los Angeles later this month.  That will depend on how much time she can spare for Crimefile News.  Ms. Van Houten’s name surely will be exploding on American theater marques over the next few years.  Of course if I can land that interview you will see it right here at Crimefile News.