The Dissident
Promotional poster
Directed byBryan Fogel
Produced by
CinematographyJake Swantko
Edited by
  • James Leche
  • Wyatt Rogowski
  • Avner Shiloah
  • Scott Hanson
  • Naeem Raza
Music byAdam Peters
Production
companies
Distributed byBriarcliff Entertainment
Release dates
  • January 24, 2020 (2020-01-24) (Sundance)
  • December 25, 2020 (2020-12-25) (United States)
Running time
119 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • Arabic
  • Turkish
  • English
Box office$92,688[2]

The Dissident is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Bryan Fogel. It follows the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia's effort to control international dissent.

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020. It was released in a limited release on December 25, 2020, followed by video on demand on January 8, 2021, by Briarcliff Entertainment.

Synopsis

The film follows the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia's effort to control international dissent.[3][4] Central to the documentary is the story of the Saudi activist and video blogger, Omar Abdulaziz.[5]

According to Bryan Fogel, the movie's aim is to look "deeply into Khashoggi's murder and the ramifications of it."[6] While a CIA report released by the Biden administration implicated Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in the death of Khashoggi,[7] Fogel believes the prince will never face an Interpol arrest warrant or formal investigation considering the vast amount of wealth he owns.[8]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020.[9] In September 2020, Briarcliff Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film.[10] It was released in a limited release on December 25, 2020, followed by video on demand on January 8, 2021.[11]

The film struggled to find a distributor for eight months and was not able to run on a large streaming platform like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. It is widely believed this was due to those platforms' fear of offending the Saudi Arabian government and possibly losing subscribers.[12][13]

Fogel showed disappointment at The Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos’ decision to acquire UAE e-commerce site Souq.com shortly after he refused to release The Dissident on Amazon Prime Video.[14]

Reception

VOD sales

In its first weekend of home release, the film was the third-most rented title at the iTunes Store and eighth on Apple TV.[15][16]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Dissident offers little catharsis in its unflinching look at a grisly murder—and gives no quarter in its forceful reminder of the fragility of free speech."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[18]

Jordan Hoffman of Screen International gave the film a positive review, writing: "The Dissident holds few new revelations but presents its case with enough infuriating evidence and storytelling power to make it worthwhile.[19] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Fogel's investigation is vigorous, deep and comprehensive."[20] Owen Gleiberman, reviewing the film in Variety, called it "an eye-opening thriller brew of corruption, cover-up, and real-world courage."[21]

Joseph Fahima of Middle East Eye gave the documentary a negative review, qualifying it as an "over-polished piece, which intentionally omits the less flattering aspects of [Khashoggi] story to deliver a more marketable product" and criticizing that the "theatrical tone prioritises atmosphere, emotional engagement, and mundane cinematic flourishes over well-rounded truth".[22]

Alleged manipulation

The filmmakers told The Washington Post that they believed trolls operating on behalf of the Saudi government created a false sense of popular disapproval of the film by flooding the review sites Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.[23] Tiyson Reynolds from Rotten Tomatoes said "it appears that there have been deliberate attempts to manipulate the movie's audience score".[24]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
ACE Eddie Awards April 17, 2021 Best Edited Documentary (Feature) Scott D. Hanson, James Leche, Wyatt Rogowski, and Avner Shiloah Nominated [25]
British Academy Film Awards April 10–11, 2021 Best Documentary Bryan Fogel, Thor Halvorssen, Mark Monroe, and Jake Swantko Nominated [26]
Cinema Eye Honors March 9, 2021 Outstanding Production Bryan Fogel, Thor Halvorssen, Mark Monroe, and Jake Swantko Nominated [27]
Cinema for Peace Awards Award for Justice The Dissident Won [28]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association February 11, 2021 Best Documentary Film The Dissident 4th place [29]
Detroit Film Critics Society March 8, 2021 Best Documentary The Dissident Nominated [30]
Dublin International Film Festival March 14, 2021 Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) Human Rights Film Award The Dissident Won [31][32]
Special Jury Prize The Dissident Won
Georgia Film Critics Association March 12, 2021 Best Documentary Film The Dissident Nominated [33]
Satellite Awards February 15, 2021 Best Motion Picture, Documentary The Dissident Nominated [34]
Writers Guild of America Awards March 21, 2021 Best Documentary Screenplay Mark Monroe and Bryan Fogel Won [35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Dissident". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Dissident (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Amazon faces angering Saudi Arabia if it hosts new film about Khashoggi murder". inews.co.uk. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  4. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven. "A Jamal Khashoggi documentary could take the film world — and U.S.-Saudi relations — by storm". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  5. ↑ Thorpe, Vanessa (22 February 2020). "Powerful new Khashoggi film hits its mark … but will audiences get to see it?". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2020-02-22 – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. ↑ "The Dissident: Jamal Khashoggi documentary points finger at Saudi Arabia's crown prince". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Jamal Khashoggi: US says Saudi prince approved Khashoggi killing". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "The Dissident: Jamal Khashoggi documentary points finger at Saudi Arabia's crown prince". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  10. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 2, 2020). "Briarcliff Acquires U.S. On 'The Dissident;' Late 2020 Release To Commemorate 2nd Anniversary Of Jamal Khashoggi Murder In Saudi Consulate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Dissident". Briarcliff Entertainment. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ Sperling, Nicole (2020-12-24). "An Oscar Winner Made a Khashoggi Documentary. Streaming Services Didn't Want It". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  13. ↑ Kilkenny, Katie (2020-12-23). "Bryan Fogel on Hollywood Reticence to Distribute 'The Dissident' and Companies Looking "the Other Way" on Human Rights Abuses". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  14. ↑ "The Dissident: Jamal Khashoggi documentary points finger at Saudi Arabia's crown prince". BBC News. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  15. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 17, 2021). "Open Road's Liam Neeson Pic 'The Marksman' Takes $3.7M At MLK Weekend Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  16. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (January 11, 2021). "A Reduced-Price 'Tenet' and PVOD Debut 'Fatale' Stand Out in Home Viewing". IndieWire. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "The Dissident (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  18. ↑ "The Dissident Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  19. ↑ Kaufman, Anthony. "'The Dissident': Sundance Review". Screen. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  20. ↑ "'The Dissident': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  21. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (25 January 2020). "'The Dissident': Film Review". Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  22. ↑ Fahim, Joseph (2020-11-16). "Jamal Khashoggi films: Trying to separate the man and the martyr". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  23. ↑ "Khashoggi murder film 'The Dissident' targeted by suspicious negative reviews". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  24. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven. "An alleged Saudi troll campaign is targeting a movie about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  25. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (March 11, 2021). "ACE Eddie Awards Nominations Include Sound Of Metal, Borat And Minari, Ted Lasso And Hamilton". Deadline. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  26. ↑ "2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Winners". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  27. ↑ Thompson, Anne (December 10, 2020). "Time Leads Influential Cinema Eye Honors Documentary Nominations". IndieWire. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Cinema for Peace Awards 2021". Cinema for Peace Foundation. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  29. ↑ Jorgenson, Todd (February 10, 2020). "DFW Film Critics Name Nomadland Best Picture of 2020". Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  30. ↑ Jorgenson, Todd. "Detroit Film Critics Society Announces 2020 Nominations". Detroit Film Critics Society. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  31. ↑ Abbatescianni, Davide (March 15, 2021). "The Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival announces its award winners". Cineuropa. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Documentary on death of Jamal Khashoggi wins human rights award". Irish Council for Civil Liberties. March 9, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  33. ↑ Sonenreich, Brooke. "Georgia Film Critics Association Announces Nominations for 2020 Year in Film". Oz Magazine. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  34. ↑ "2020 Winners". International Press Academy. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  35. ↑ Lewis, Hilary; Kit, Borys (March 21, 2021). "WGA Awards: Promising Young Woman Wins Original Screenplay, Borat 2 Takes Adapted Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
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