The Dissident, from the director Bryan Fogel, is a documentary thriller, exposing the labyrinth of deceit behind Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. In this film, his fiancée and dissidents around the world are left to piece together the clues to a brutal murder and expose a global cover-up perpetrated by the very country he loved.
Offering a wealth of never-before-seen footage and unique access to those closest to the story – including Khashoggi’s fiancé Hatice Cengiz, Turkish police and prosecutors, and the young Saudi dissident Khashoggi was working with – The Dissident is a story of money, tyranny and technology.
At the heart of story is Khashoggi himself, a principled reformer who sought to create a just and more open society in his Saudi homeland. The Dissident illustrates that in today’s world, no one who goes against powerful forces is truly safe. A powerful film which needs to be seen by as many people as possible.
I am pleased to see that The Dissident has been longlisted for the 2021 BAFTA’s Documentary category, with the winners to be announced on 11th April 2021.
The Dissident had a limited release in December 2020, followed by video on demand on January 8, 2021, by Briarcliff Entertainment here.
Watch the film trailer here.
About Parminder Vir OBE
Parminder Vir OBE has dedicated herself to positively impacting and transforming lives through a professional career spanning 40 years in philanthropy, entrepreneurship, film and television production, arts and culture, and investment funding. She is the co-founder of the Support4AfricaSMEs campaign and The African Farmers Stories, launched in 2020. She served as the CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, based in Lagos, Nigeria from April 2014 to April 2019. Prior to joining the Foundation, Parminder has enjoyed a distinguished career as an awarding winning film and television producer and private equity investor in film and media.
