A new documentary film sheds light on the Surrey couple involved in a plot to blow up the B.C. Legislature in Victoria 10 years ago, on Canada Day 2013.
John 91ƵOmar91Ƶ Nuttall and Amanda 91ƵAna91Ƶ Korody were originally found guilty by a jury and did time in prison, but were later acquitted when the Supreme Court of B.C. heard they were coerced by undercover police officers to carry out a terrorist bombing.
Director 91Ƶs 91ƵManufacturing the Threat91Ƶ is a fascinating portrait of the couple and also a murky world of Canadian police infiltration, manipulation and entrapment, and how policing and security agencies were granted additional powers after 9/11 to go after 91Ƶterrorists91Ƶ and justify growing budgets.
This week the film is , on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (Oct. 17, 19, 20).
to watch the trailer.
Back in 2013, during Operation Souvenir, the RCMP provided Nuttall and Korody with explosives and fake detonators, then arrested and charged them for plotting a terrorist attack.
Miller91Ƶs gripping film, world-premiered at Vancouver91Ƶs DOXA film festival last May, uses surveillance video to help show how an impoverished pair became radicalized Muslims with pressure and guidance of undercover police who, the director contends, sought to 91Ƶmanufacture91Ƶ the terrorist threat.
Last year the couple announced plans to sue police, prosecutors in their case and the B.C. and Canadian governments.
91Ƶ RELATED, from 2022: .
Nuttall and Korody still live in the Surrey area, the Montreal-based director said.
91ƵThey had never really done interviews before. It took time to build some trust, and I think that91Ƶs warranted,91Ƶ Miller said in a phone call Tuesday (Oct. 17).
91ƵI was very lucky to get some development funding for the film in 2019, and that91Ƶs when I went out and filmed with them,91Ƶ she continued. 91ƵThat ended up being the main bulk of the filming for this. I would have liked to have a few more days with them, you know, a year or two later, but that91Ƶs not what happened.91Ƶ
Miller said she91Ƶs remained in contact with the lawyer involved in the the couple91Ƶs 2022 lawsuit against police and governments.
91ƵI have been writing Omar and Ana, letting them know how things are going,91Ƶ she explained. 91ƵThey didn91Ƶt attend the premiere (last spring) but I sent them a copy of the film. I don91Ƶt know if they decided to watch it, because it91Ƶs hard for anyone to watch themselves on TV or in films, never mind if you91Ƶre sharing extremely traumatic, difficult stories of what happened to you.91Ƶ
Miller says DOXA is the only 91Ƶbig festival91Ƶ in Canada to have welcomed the film, to date, and she91Ƶs not entirely sure why.
91ƵEvery other of the Canadian festivals that are in, like, the A tier, the bigger festivals, have snubbed the film, and there still isn91Ƶt a Canadian broadcaster that91Ƶs taken the film,91Ƶ Miller said.
91ƵIt91Ƶs the only film on entrapment and agent provocateurs in Canadian history, that91Ƶs ever been made, so guaranteed there91Ƶs people who will find it interesting,91Ƶ she added.
91ƵIs it a conspiracy to say that maybe broadcasters don91Ƶt want to ruffle any feathers and have any issues? I don91Ƶt know. It91Ƶs tricky for me to say because nobody wants sour grapes, and there are so many good docs that don91Ƶt get a license or that don91Ƶt get into good festival, or bigger festivals, I should say.
91ƵI91Ƶm very thrilled with the results so far,91Ƶ Miller added. 91ƵWe91Ƶve won a couple of awards, and international eyeballs will see this film. But it is a Canadian subject for a Canadian audience. I can91Ƶt speak on behalf of the broadcasters, but it is one of those things, right, because maybe it91Ƶs as simple as no one wants to be critical of the RCMP and CSIS because of the cultural ecosystem that we live in, in Canada.91Ƶ
- with files from Jane Skrypnek