Hot Docs

The Guantanamo Trap

Canadian Spectrum

Screenings

Fri, Apr 29 10:30 PM The Royal Cinema	Not Available
Mon, May 2 2:00 PM TIFF Bell Lightbox 3	Not Available
Sat, May 7 10:30 PM The Regent	Not Available

90 minutes | Germany Canada Switzerland | English German Turkish Spanish | World Premiere | Rating: 18A

WINNER - Special Jury Prize (Canadian Feature), Hot Docs 2011

Taxi to the Dark Side and Standard Operating Procedure hallmark a growing catalogue of documentaries emerging from the War on Terror. The Guantanamo Trap is a vital addition, highlighting four interconnected biographies that reveal the impact of gross injustice. Murat Kurnaz, a German of Turkish heritage, spent five years at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was released in 2006 without trial, after suffering years of torture. In the same year, Matthew Diaz, Judge Advocate for the US Navy, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment after releasing the names of detainees. His colleague, Diane Beaver, gained notoriety as the author of a legal document better known as “the torture memo”. Tying these characters together is Gonzalo Boye, a Spanish lawyer driven to hold power to account. This provocative study of humanity and democracy, and how easily they’re corrupted under pressure, is a testament to the times. - Alex Rogalski

Subjects :

Co-presented with Women in Film & Television -Toronto (WIFT-T).