As the 21st anniversary since Guantanamo Bay Prison took in it’s first prisoners, Cinema Libre Studio has completed production on a controversial narrative feature that shows, for the first time, the treatment Guantanamo’s Arab prisoners received upon detainment FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF 9/11. Told from a Muslim Arab’s point-of-view, Sammy Sheik (“American Snipper”, “NCIS: Los Angeles,”) stars as Gamel Sadek with Eric Pierpoint (“Liar, Liar”, “Alien Nation”) as his interrogator. The film was written and directed by Philippe Diaz (“The End of Poverty?”, “Now and Later”) based on true events and will screen on October 5th and closing night, October 8th.
Inspired by the declassified legal hearings of earlier detainees, the story takes place in 2002 and revolves around Gamel Sadek, an Egyptian man living in Afghanistan with his family who is kidnapped from his home and delivered to the CIA under suspicion of terrorism. He is first sent to Bagram Air Base where he is brutally interrogated and tortured, then flown to Guantanamo prison where his status as an “enemy combatant” does not offer—according to the Bush administration—protection under the Geneva Convention.
Sammy Sheik, who is of Egyptian descent says: “I’m honored to be a part of telling this very important story. For the first time, the narrative is being told from the point of view of one of the many victims of the so called “war on terror” and the grave injustices he and many others had to endure, without the usual idolization of the western hero that Hollywood had been presenting for years.”
Eric Pierpoint plays the role of an aging interrogator who returns to duty during the Bush/Rumsfeld War on terror to discover that new “enhanced interrogation methods” are now acceptable. This forces him to choose between his country and religious beliefs over fairness and compassion. Pierpoint says “For the first time, this movie will show how horrific and constant the use of torture is in American prisons and black sites against suspected Arab terrorists, despite international conventions. This was an important movie to do.”
Diaz the writer/director sees the film as an answer to The Mauritanian (Kevin Macdonald’s 2021 films starring Jodie Foster) and other films that have touched on the issue, as “this movie does not have an American hero to save the day! Most of the movie will be seen through the eyes of this Muslim Arab man who, despite claiming his innocence, will be tortured relentlessly as it happened to many detainees in Guantanamo. I hope this movie will be part of the campaign asking Joe Biden to close this infamous prison where 85% of detainees were held for many years without charges and without the right to defend themselves.”
The film will screen twice in Marbella on October 5th and October 8, during the closing night with the director in attendance and taking part in post-screening discussions with members from human rights organizations. Updates at: Facebook/IamGitmoFilm and IamGitmoFilm.com
ABOUT MARBELLA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:
The Marbella International Film Festival has been held in Marbella on the Costa del Sol in Spain since 2006. It provides a venue for encouraging artists from all parts of the world. The festival was started by the New World Trust, a non-profit organization, and happens at the Hard Rock Marbella. Marbelalfilmfestival.com
ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE: Cinema Libre Studio is a full-service mini studio known for producing and distributing high quality feature films and social impact documentaries. Headquartered in the Los Angeles area, the team has released over 200 films.
www.cinemalibrestudio.com | www.facebook.com/cinemalibrestudio | twitter.com/cinemalibre