THE CORRESPONDENT

THREE AND A HALF STARS The true story of Peter Greste, a journalist who was jailed for nearly a decade on trumped up charges.

DRAMA AUSTRALIA English #THECORRESPONDENT Starring Richard Roxburgh, Rahel Romahn

In this post-truth age of artifice and political construction, THE CORRESPONDENT is a poignant reminder of the importance of vigilance. Not so long ago, Australian journalist Peter Greste was reporting on the Arab Spring uprising when, in the blink of an eye, he was jailed with no prospect of release on trumped-up charges of abetting a terrorist organisation.

Greste (played the ever reliable Richard Roxburgh) was only meant to be in Cairo for a couple of weeks, back-filling for a reporter who was on leave. Yet his temporary position turned into a years long nightmare when he was suddenly hand cuffed and taken to the notorious Torah prison along with two colleagues. What follows is the true story of their fight for freedom.

Director Kriv Stenders is better known for lighter fare like RED DOG or TVs MOTHER & SON, yet working from a compelling script from Peter Duncan has crafted a taught political thriller. He turns the atmosphere up to jangling and keeps it steady for the film’s duration. While the lack of conventional peaks and troughs might rob it of energy for some, it perfectly captures a sense of endless, claustrophobic uncertainty about where Greste’s sentence is heading and when, or indeed if, he’ll ever be released. 

Foremost this is the story of Greste’s determination in the face of Egypt’s kangaroo justice and the failure of Australian diplomats to act in any meaningful way. It’s unpleasant to watch and offers a foul taste of what it might be like to endure. For a little relief from the ordeal of the cell room, there’s Greste’s ordeal with personal demons  about the accidental death of a colleague as told in flashback from Somalia. While it feels like a dramatic device (though to be honest, it’s good to get out of Torah prison), it underline the journalists’ at-all-costs mindset that led him to Egypt. It also offers some hope that he has what it takes to survive.

THE CORRESPONDENT is not for all tastes. It’s a highly compressed film that largely plays one singular, hellish note in describing Greste’s incarceration. Yet it’s a note Stenders plays with style even if it's not enough to satisfy those who enjoy a little more dramatic range. If that’s your thing, there’s Ben Affleck. For the rest of us THE CORRESPONDENT is an important account of Greste’s story, an important reminder that journalism is not a crime and most importantly, a reminder that the acidic politics of autocracy are never more than a heartbeat away.

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