Against the innocent

This is a provocative Australian drama - its theme is counter terrorism, the use of violence and terror by the State in the name of maintaining peace and security. Prompted by the Hilton bombing, (though not referring to those events), the film follows the visit to Australia of Monica Schleyer, an expert on counter-terrorism, for a series of lectures. Schleyer soon comes under the hostile scrutiny of the media and Australian security forces, with dramatic results. Drawing on elements of political documentary and a variety of bold cinematic techniques, “Against the Innocent” vividly and lucidly examines its subject, so often reduced by the media to loaded and superficial terms like “security”, “terrorism” and “national interest”.