Secrecy - What National Security Costs...

Combining animation, installations, a mesmerizing score, and riveting interviews, the film takes us inside the inverted world of government secrecy as we share the experiences of lawyers, CIA analysts, and the ordinary people for whom secrecy becomes a matter of life and death.

vidreel.com...

A very good documentary that follows the history of government secrecy in the United states and it's ramifications.

www.imdb.com...

I just saw this film at the San Francisco International Film Festival (in Berkeley) Without a lot of self-righteousness or bloviation, this film is superb. It takes a subject which may not lend itself well to film and makes it immediate and visual. The use of animation and music is masterful. The interlocutors (lighted beautifully) make you hang on to every word they say. It has a point, but it allows other viewpoints in, and not just straw men. The filmmakers give credible, reasonable arguments for taking a position which is ostensibly alternative to theirs. It actually stays away from, for the most part, the easy, well worn targets and examines in a fresh way, the impact of secrecy. Interestingly, at no point do they ever suggest giving up security--Actually they seem to be very much in favor of it. Interestingly, Dan Ellsberg (Pentagon Papers) was in the audience when I saw this movie. I'm surprised he would be drawn to it, having lived it firsthand but it shows the quality of the work.

[edit on 1-10-2009 by oconnection]

reply to post by oconnection


just a thought but if ever nation openly shared technologies and we had open trade etc, and everyone was on the same level playing field would we need secrecy?

reply to post by oconnection


Just watched it and thought it was very interesting. Here's a YouTube link:




Absolutely worth a watch

The cost is all for the good because the country has to protect itself.
The country has to support itself to stay in existence.

Originally posted by warrenb
reply to post by oconnection

 

just a thought but if ever nation openly shared technologies and we had open trade etc, and everyone was on the same level playing field would we need secrecy?

Until humanity reaches that level countries will need secrets. What this movie shows is that there is excessive secrecy and the excessive use of National Defense to sometimes hide mistakes the government makes.