A Good American
- Directed by: Friedrich Moser
- Release Date: March 2018 (Educational)
- Year of Production: 2015
Before Edward Snowden, there was Bill Binney...
Bill Binney was a brilliant cryptologist, long-time National Security Agency (NSA) analyst, and Technical Director. He developed a sophisticated program named ThinThread for gathering data capable of providing clues, in real-time, of potential terrorist threats.
Built-in safeguards would have prevented the massive surveillance methods later exposed by Edward Snowden. Why was this program killed off? And who was behind it?
Friedrich Moser’s eye-opening and deeply disturbing documentary tells the complete story of Bill Binney and those, both inside the NSA and out, who backed ThinThread. A program that gathered data, lawfully, effectively, and more inexpensively, than the now discredited programs pursued by the US and EU governments. It’s also a chilling account of those willing to go on the record and what happened to them when they tried to expose the truth. Could ThinThread have prevented 9/11?
SELECTED SCREENINGS & EVENTS
- WINNER - Amnesty International Award Special Mention, Millenium Docs Against Gravity (Poland)
- Nominated - CPH:DOX, Politiken Audience Award
- Nominated - Austrian Film Award (Best Score)
- Nominated - Audience Award, Palm Springs International Film Festival
- DOC NYC (Co-presented by Columbia Journalism Review)
- Movies that Matter @ The Hague
- Rotterdam (IFFR)
- Portland International Film Festival
- Cleveland International Film Festival
- DOXA
- Biografilm
- Nashville Film Festival
- Special Screening at the Brussels European Parliament
ACADEMIC REVIEWS
"A damning indictment of the American security establishment. Recommended to viewers with an interest in intelligence matters." - Library Journal
WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING
"Stunning and Deeply Disturbing" - Newsweek
"Infuriating!" - Daphne Howland, The Village Voice
"Another example of the toxic fallout from corruption and power..." - Spirituality & Practice
“The film is a fascinating, sometimes jaw-dropping account of gifted individuals thwarted by self-serving superiors, with tragic results“ - IndieWIRE
"[The film's] subjects have an urgent narrative to tell." - The New York Times
“Convincing! … fascinating… certainly packs a punch!” - The Guardian
"A Good American is as exciting as a well-made thriller....extremely cinematic“ - Filmmagasinet Ekko (Denmark)
"An insanely compelling, well-orchestrated and explosive documentary." - SoundVenue (Denmark)
"Enraging, terrifying and eye-opening!" - Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
"Riveting, enraging and beautifully crafted!" - Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing
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Friedrich holds a university degree (MA) in history and german studies from the University of Salzburg / Austria. Friedrich started his professional career as a TV journalist and editor in Bolzano-Bozen / Italy. In 2001 he founded blue+green communication. He has made over 20 documentaries in the past years, most of them as producer / director / DoP. Friedrich’s professional career also includes lecturing on history and documentaries at the University of Vienna / Department of Economic and Social History, as well as teaching video production at the Secondary School for Commercial Graphics in Bressanone-Brixen / Italy. Friedrich lives in Vienna/Austria and in Bressanone-Brixen / Italy. His films include THE BRUSSELS BUSINESS and A GOOD AMERICAN.
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