The creators of the covert Brett Kavanaugh documentary stated they received fresh information on him as soon as it was announced: ‘I’m hoping the action of this spark.’
According to the producers, after the surprising revelation that a documentary focused on sexual misconduct claims against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will screen at the Sundance Film Festival, additional tips began to pour in.
The independent film festival, held annually in Park City, Utah, announced Thursday that filmmaker Doug Liman’s film “Justice” will premiere on Friday evening. The video focuses on allegations made against Kavanaugh when he was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump in 2018.
The video presented new information concerning the allegations leveled against Kavanaugh. It addresses allegations made by accusers like Christine Blasey Ford, who testified before Congress in 2018, and Deborah Ramirez, Kavanaugh’s former Yale classmate.
The video also provides fresh facts about a second event at Yale involving a different woman who is not identified and has refused to appear in the film. Those charges were supplied to the FBI by another Yale alumni, Max Stier, during its examination of Kavanaugh – the film claims that the FBI received over 4,500 reports, with the most plausible ones being passed on to the White House.
The producers obtained a tape of Stier recounting the event, which serves as one of the documentary’s most dramatic moments. “That stuff like that was basically concealed and delivered to the White House and never pursued,” Liman added during a Q&A after the movie.
Liman, widely known for directing films such as “Swingers” and “The Bourne Identity,” spoke about the film with Amy Herdy, his coproducer who oversaw the film’s investigation team.
“I thought the film was finished, but it seems… we’re not going home,” Liman stated. “The crew is still working on it.”
When asked what he hoped the film would achieve — additional investigations or other effects — Liman said what happens after the film is released “We live in a climate where, no matter what we put in this movie, it is likely that the people who support the status quo will continue to support it, and I sort of came to the answer for myself: Maybe the truth matters,” he continues. It matters now, it will matter in the future, and maybe that’s all there is to it.”
That wasn’t enough for Herdy, she said. “I do hope that this causes indignation, that it causes action, that it causes extra inquiry with actual subpoena powers.”
The filmmakers also said that they kept the film a secret because they feared word would harm their efforts. Liman referred to “the apparatus that was put in place to prohibit anybody from daring to speak out.” If the information had gotten out, he said, “There would have been an injunction. This movie would not have been shown here.”
According to Herdy, the subjects were even given code names, and everyone who worked on the film or was interviewed by the filmmakers signed a non-disclosure agreement.
The filmmakers interviewed roughly 20 individuals, including Blasey Ford’s present and former acquaintances, Ramirez’s friends, journalists, and psychologists who characterised the characteristics and consequences of traumatic recollections. At the beginning of the film, Blasey Ford talks briefly with Liman, then there are lengthy, emotional interviews with Ramirez.
According to Liman, his motivation for filming his first documentary originated in 2018 during the Congressional hearings before Kavanaugh’s confirmation. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he previously said that “the Supreme Court, which is sacrosanct for all of us, bears particular value for me.” His father, Arthur L. Liman, was a notable lawyer and activist, and his brother, Lewis, clerked for the Supreme Court and is now a federal judge in New York’s Southern District.
The film is looking for a distributor, but as Liman and Herdy observed on Saturday, it might potentially be extended as they examine fresh leads.
If you are a victim of sexual assault, you may get confidential help by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673) or visiting their website.
