WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: Idol and public enemy no. 1

For some he's a hero. For others, he’s public enemy number one. Certainly, his revelations challenged US power. This film follows the WikiLeaks founder’s extraordinary life story.

With the publication of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, WikiLeaks ushered in a new information age. Suddenly, thanks to founder Julian Assange, state secrets were out in the open — and under scrutiny.

For many journalists and activists, Assange was a pioneer who used new technologies to evade both censorship and reprisals. For others, he symbolized an openness that could bring both nation states and multinational corporations to their knees.

For seven years, Assange sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. After that, he spent five years in a British high-security prison facing US charges of espionage carrying a potential sentence of 175 years. Following a deal with the US Department of Justice, he was finally released in the summer of 2024.

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