Phantom Parrot

Synopsis

PHANTOM PARROT is a probing window into digital privacy in the era of information. The film follows human rights activist Muhammad Rabbani as he is prosecuted under terror laws for refusing to hand over the passwords to his electronic devices. While reporting on Rabbani’s case, a journalist publishes explosive documents proving the existence of a secret data-gathering program (codenamed Phantom Parrot) in which individuals are stopped at the border and asked to hand over their electronic devices. The devices are then secretly copied, using invasive technologies known as Mobile Device Forensic Tools. With unprecedented access to both Rabbani’s story and the law enforcement officers and investigators who use Mobile Device Forensic Tools, PHANTOM PARROT is an urgent, multidimensional exploration of modern espionage, surveillance and privacy in the digital age.

Director Biography

Kate Stonehill is a Grierson award winning filmmaker whose work explores power and citizenship in the digital age. She experiments with form in her films, playing with genre conventions to investigate truth. She has exhibited work at leading festivals and galleries (BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, The Showroom).