Episode 660: In The Seats With....Jacob Kastner and 'Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Applebaum'

For a guy nobody wants to talk about, we certainly had a lot to talk about....On yet another very special episode we dive into the underbelly of the world of hacking, illegal surveillance and some occasionally deprived and really weird stuff in the new documentary Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Applebaum which is having a second screening tonight at the TIFF Bell Lightbox before it debuts on CBC Gem this coming Wednesday the 26th.Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, had a crucial hearing at London's High Court last week where judges approved a short extension on his appeal to challenge possible extradition to the U.S. to confront 18 charges, predominantly under the Espionage Act. His fate, and the fate of those who worked with him, is still up in the air. If and/or when Assange is extradited to the U.S., attention will surely shift to his closest allies, including American Jacob Appelbaum, referred to as “WLA3” (WikiLeaks Associate 3) in indictments against Assange, who himself is currently residing in exile in Germany.  A new film by Canadian filmmaker Jamie Kastner, "Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Appelbaum" delves into the intriguing yet troubled persona of Appelbaum, whose destiny appears tightly interwoven with Assange's, and the obscure subculture from which they both emerged.  Kastner ("The Skyjacker’s Tale”, "There Are No Fakes," + ) embarks on a quest to unravel the mysteries surrounding Jacob Appelbaum.  The film includes interviews reluctantly secured from elusive individuals including Appelbaum himself, woven together with seldom-seen footage and original investigative efforts, forming a cautionary tale relevant to our times.No word of lie, but this one gets a little out there, we had the pleasure of sitting down with friend of the show, director Jamie Kastner about what drew him to this story, how the film sits just on the wrong side of uncomfortable at times plus a little bonus news about how one of his previous films actually helped to generate some positive results in the world.Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Applebaum is on CBC Gem this Wednesday June 26th.