Sonia Kennebeck’s documentary opens with a well-known quote from Oscar Wilde – “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” And, honestly, never has a sentence been more applicable to a series of events.
Her thought-provoking piece of cinema feels part LeCarre novel and part dystopian future. It has so many “plot twists” that you really will be kept guessing until the very end. And, unlike any Hollywood espionage thriller, there isn’t a neatly packaged ending for you to digest.
The film centres around the Dehart family, comprised of husband and wife, Paul and Leann, and their son Matt. They have given a life of service, both in the US military and within the Christian church, living in small towns throughout the States. Hardly your typical security threat.
Allegations begin swirling around the (clearly very intelligent) Matt, who has spent of his teenage years operating on the dark web. Does he have access to intelligence that would expose nefarious goings-on of the US government – a la Julian Assange – or is he hiding a more personal secret?
It’s a film about trauma and paranoia as much as it is an exploration of the truth. “What is the truth?” so many eyewitnesses and commentators question. “What is actually going on here?”
Put simply, the documentary presents you with two competing narratives to hang your (tinfoil) hat on. Either, Matt Dehart is a dark web hacker and part of Anonymous who received information that resulted in his torture, arrest and a vicious smear campaign. Or, his controlling, conservative Christian parents couldn’t cope with his spiraling paedophilic activities and so they concocted a narrative of espionage and trauma instead.
Neither of these options makes for particularly pleasant viewing, as Kennebeck reconstructs alleged FBI torture and scenes of Matt allegedly messaging minors.
There is a good mix of commentators throughout, ranging from university lecturers, subject matter experts and journalists to former cops and family friends. Paul Dehart is certainly very articulate and compelling in his convictions. His wife is more worn out and anxious, whispering most of her thoughts through tears and shaking hands.
There are clear comparisons drawn between the allegations Matt faces and those levied at WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. In fact, Matt’s desperate attempts to seek refuge in various foreign embassies further this comparison.
What’s interesting is the speed at which paranoia can take over so that every car that passes or every person walking behind you in the street immediately becomes a threat. Kennebeck really captures this creeping sense of being watched by tight close ups followed by flashes of cars speeding past or helicopters flying overhead.
It’s enough to make your thought process make great leaps – “Well, if a government can do X, surely they can also frame you for Y!” or “Why would an innocent person behave that way?” It’s a kind of frightening spiral of questions – most of which are left unanswered.
As events unravel and the film works towards its conclusion, Kennebeck never directs you towards a specific outcome or belief. She simply lays all the evidence – ugly and shocking as it is – out in front of you.
The result – or lack of one – is quite a bewildering experience. There is no closure – for the viewer or the trail of victims that this case has left behind.
Enemies of the State is screening at the Glasgow Film Festival from February 28 until March 3. Click here to get your tickets.
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