“Cover-Up”, interview with the directors Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus

August 31, 2025

Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, directors. "Cover-Up". A powerful documentary on Pulitzer Winner Seymour Hersh and his quest for truth and transparency in modern journalism.

"Cover-Up", interview with the directors Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus Angelo Acerbi

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Laura Poitras comes back to the Venice International Film Festival this time for a co-direction, with Mark Obenhaus, of a strong documentary film, “Cover-Up”, with and about Seymour Hersh, Pulitzer Prize recipient and worldwide famous investigative reporter.

An important film on an outstanding journalist

Laur Poitras cannot stress enough how the work od Seymour Hersh is unparalleled in journalism in the United States. And what he has revealed , particularly about the government, the US government and abuse of power, which is a theme she cares about a lot. He was very, very protective of his process and his sources. And he also didn’t want to be the focus of the film: it’s his journalism that’s the subject. But, he is a really fascinating character: making the audience to get a taste of that complex character that is Seymour Hersh was always a goal for the directors.

Not only a film on the past, but a very relevant film for these times

Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus agree on the fact that they would have not spend the two and a half years of their lives and they wouldn’t be asking Sy for over almost two decades to make the film if they didn’t think it was historically relevant. Today, it’s all about the press and the importance of having an adversarial investigative press that challenges state narratives and does that consistently and uncovers facts. We needed it in the 60s. We need it today.

Plot

Cover-Up is a political thriller that traces the explosive career of Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. Urgent and deeply reported, Cover-Up is both a portrait of a relentless journalist and an indictment of institutional violence — revealing a cycle of impunity in the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. Drawing on exclusive access to Hersh’s notes, and interweaving primary documents and archival footage, Cover-Up captures the power and process of investigative journalism.

Written by: Angelo Acerbi

Guest

Laura Poitras mark obenhaus

Film

Cover Up

Festival

Mostra del Cinema di Venezia

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Interview

BFI London Film Fest

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