The Unknown Known

The Unknown Known
Fri 7/18 6:30; Sun 7/20 2:30 & 7:30; Mon 7/21 9:00; Tue 7/22 6:30; Wed 7/23 9:00; Thu 7/24 6:30
Dir: Errol Morris / 2014 / US / 102 min / DCP

Award winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War) is known for mining truth from his subjects with precision and style. The Unknown Known is no exception, though Morris is in for a challenge with his latest subject, former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Staged as a long interview meant to pick Rumsfeld’s brain on his role in the Iraq war, among other controversies in which he conspired, the former Secretary’s viewpoint is illustrated through copious memos and pointed questions directed with the goal of revelation or even a sign of remorse. The problem is that Rumsfeld is as adept at evading the truth as Morris is in revealing it, resulting in an absorbing portrait of an elusive man who hides behind a mask of withered power and calculated mystery. A.O. Scott of The NY Times says, “The Unknown Known ‘is both thrilling and disconcerting to watch”.