In the first job Ithaca John and Gabriel Shipton, the father and brother of Julian Assange, who for years has been subjected to a grueling court procedure seeking to extradite him to the United States for trial and sentence there, has come to Mexico. The film, however, is a documentary that tells how a family spent years seeking the release of one of their members.
Although Assange’s story is known all over the world, Ithaca It is not about summarizing the process or showing its development. Nor does the film delve into the specifics of the long-running issue. Instead, it tells the story of a man who spent his final years trying to help his son.
John Shipton and Stella Morris, Assange’s partner, tried every possibility. After several rejected by the UK justice system, the founder WikiLeaksHe continues in a maximum security prison.
Faced with the desperate truth John is going through, the seventy-year-old chose to show his struggle, despite showing his annoyance at being the focus of discussion, answering questions, and speaking with the media.
In the presence of the Minister of Culture, Alejandra Frausto, and Director of the Cineteca Nacional, Alejandro Pelayo, the function began with a message about the importance of freedom.
At the end of the film, the audience chanted several times, “Political prisoners, freedom!”. The feeling that John Shipton left among the audience was precisely that he lived on an unfinished journey, continuing without noticing the sacrifices to restore his son’s freedom.
Shipton is confident that the film will raise public awareness of Julian Assange’s position. However, a man’s face sometimes indicates the opposite. The activist avoided extradition only last year due to his fragile mental state, but hope for a successful outcome is now faint.
After listening to the audience’s comments, John and Gabriel thanked the support provided in Mexico. “One, two, three: Free Assange,” Shipton asked in English.
This weekend Ithaka will perform at Los Pinos Cultural Center for free.
Among the Shiptons’ activities in Mexico, on Sunday they will participate in a protest in front of the US Embassy and on Tuesday they will visit UNAM’s School of Philosophy and Letters. In addition, John Shipton will remain in the country until September 15, at the invitation of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
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