On the 16th July 2021, Gabriel Shipton announced the launch of the film ‘Ithaka’ following John Shipton and Stella Moris’ battle to secure justice for their son and partner, Julian Assange.
Note: the call for donations to complete the effort at Documentary Australia Foundation
We worked on this for 2 years and are almost able to share 'Ithaka' with you. A documentary about John Shipton & @StellaMoris1 fight to free their son and fiancé Julian #Assange. Please help us finish it by donating to the crowd fund campaign! #FreeAssangehttps://t.co/457kY86aO7 pic.twitter.com/QOjRT0S94R
— Gabriel Shipton (@GabrielShipton) July 16, 2021
Director: Ben Lawrence
Producer: Gabriel Shipton
Duration: 110 minutes
Filmed over two years across the UK, Europe and the US, this documentary follows 76 year-old retired builder, John Shipton’s tireless campaign to save his son, Julian Assange.
The world’s most famous political prisoner, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has become an emblem of an international arm wrestle over freedom of journalism, government corruption and unpunished war crimes.
Now with Julian facing a 175 year sentence if extradited to the US, his family members are confronting the prospect of losing Julian forever to the abyss of the US justice system.
This David-and-Goliath struggle is personal – and, with Julian’s health declining in a British maximum-security prison and American government prosecutors attempting to extradite him to face trial in the US , the clock is ticking.
Weaving historic archive and intimate behind-the-scenes footage, this story tracks John’s journey alongside Julian’s fiancee, Stella Moris as they join forces to advocate for Julian. We witness John embark on a European odyssey to rally a global network of supporters, advocate to politicians and cautiously step into the media’s glare – where he is forced to confront events that made Julian a global flashpoint.
Ithaka provides a timely reminder of the global issues at stake in this case, as well as an insight into the personal toll inflicted by the arduous, often lonely task of fighting for a cause bigger than oneself.
Articles and coverage at
Donations and Synopsis at Documentary Australia Foundation
Tickets ( Melbourne 12th and 15th August)
Melbourne International Film Festival
Trailer Vimeo and articles in the Sydney Morning Herald
“Saving Julian Assange: Meet the people closest to the Wikileaks founder”
“Who would you trust to tell your story? Real lives are in focus at MIFF”
Editor’s Note: The film is named after the poem ‘Ithaka’ by Constantine Cavafy. Reading by Sean Connery on YouTube