On the eve of the international release of Alex Gibney’s WikiLeaks documentary We Steal Secrets, the organization is blasting the film, leaking a complete, annotated transcript reporting dozens of factual errors and instances of "sleight of hand" from the Oscar-winning director. In the transcript, WikiLeaks points to, among other things, the use of a "crude gay caricature" to paint Bradley Manning’s decision to leak US military and diplomatic documents as "a failure of character, rather than a triumph of conscience."

Gibney’s narration in the film is criticized throughout, including an implication that Manning and Assange had communicated directly, the latter possibly being "persuaded" by WikiLeaks to leak classified information. The organization points out that the particular claim is contradicted in Manning’s plea statement, in which he states, "no one associated with the WLO pressured me into giving more information." It also paints as false a number of statements made by Guardian journalist Nick Davies, including his statement that WikiLeaks had no harm-minimization process, and an alleged Assange quote, refuted by journalist John Goetz, that an Afghan helping coalition forces "deserves to die."

The premiere of We Steal Secrets comes just days before Bradley Manning’s trial is set to begin for leaking secret information, in which Manning faces a potential death sentence. WikiLeaks asserts the timing of the release is opportunistic, designed to capitalize on the media attention surrounding the trial. As we pointed out in our own review of the film, whatever its strengths, Gibney’s project is completely lacking the voices of any ardent WikiLeaks supporters. For another look at the story, the organization suggests two other, upcoming films from Ken Loach and Laura Poitras.