A whistleblower is defined as “an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it.”

In April 2014, independent filmmaker James Spione premiered Silenced, the documentary film on three vocal critics of national security policy that has been implemented since 9/11. Silenced features “riveting first-person accounts from former National Security Agency executive Thomas Drake, who was one of the first to blow the whistle on an enormous warrantless wiretapping program aimed at American citizens during the Bush Administration; Jesselyn Radack, the former Justice Department attorney who stumbled onto the United States’ nascent detainee torture regime; and ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou who confirmed the use of ‘enhanced interrogations.’"

The emmy-nominated film will be screened on Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 6:30pm in the OBTC Great Room 101 in Kaplan Hall at SUNY Orange. In addition to filmmaker/director and Academy Award nominee Spione, whistleblower Thomas Drake will speak during a post-screening discussion.

In light of the significance of two present-day whistleblowers speaking out in Washington DC, this film takes on an even greater role in viewing the rights of citizens of the USA. “My hope is that this film [Silenced] can offer a greater understanding of whistleblower motivation and this alarming crackdown on meaningful dissent by our government,” states James Spione.

James Spione is an alumnus of the Film Directing program at SUNY Purchase where he now teaches. He first achieved national recognition in 1987, when he earned a Student Academy Award for his dramatic thesis film Prelude, about an adolescent boy's solo journey into the Adirondack Mountains. His most recent feature, Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock, is a unique collaborative work about the historic indigenous resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline project near Cannon Ball, North Dakota. That was screened at SUNY Orange a year ago. In 2017, Tom Drake received his PhD in public policy and administration. His dissertation was entitled “Eyewitness to History in Devolution of Democracy and Constitutional Rights Following 9/11.” His career has been varied including teaching, information technology, systems and software engineering, code analysis and military and intelligence experience.

Come to the screening of this meaningful and relevant film and open discussion. The event is free and open to the public.

Located at the corner of Grand and First Streets, Newburgh, the Kaplan Hall also has a garage which is accessible at 73 First Street and affords free, secure parking. For more information, contact 845-341-4891 or email cultural@sunyorange.edu
You may also consult www.sunyorange.edu/culturalaffairs