‘Snowden, ‘ the politically-charged, pulse-pounding thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley, reveals the incredible untold personal story of Edward Snowden, the polarizing figure who exposed shocking illegal surveillance activities by the NSA and became one of the most wanted men in the world. “What is it about this job that makes it more important than your life?” “But (actors) can reach new audiences in new ways and get people talking about things that they don’t have time to read (or) to look for in the academic setting”.
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Snowden is also the subject of a biopic directed by Oliver Stone that was recently screened at Comic-Con and is expected to get a wide US release in September – giving Snowden an aura of celebrity few privacy advocates have achieved.
“It means a lot to have Ed’s endorsement, and it means a lot to have you [Snowden] here tonight”, said Gordon-Levitt, who was sporting an American flag on his T-shirt.
The movie also has Snowden appearing as himself at the very end. But neither Stone nor Snowden would say exactly how it really happened because there are still charges pending against Snowden. Shailene Woodley plays Mills, who Stone said was represented poorly by the press. He hopes that the film helps to redeem her in the public eye.
Snowden will be speaking to Stone in the satellite conversation.
The story is played out by a cast of actors, including Shailene Woodley as Lindsay Mills, Snowden’s long-term girlfriend, and Nicholas Cage as a former United States intelligence official, but the real Snowden also makes an appearance at the end of the film, playing himself.
Out of necessity, the film takes some liberties with facts that aren’t in the public record yet, including the pivotal moment when Snowden smuggles the classified files out of the NSA.
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“It was a good idea and we ran with it”, Stone said.
