The president versus David Hicks Guantanamo Bay

A film by CURTIS LEVYand Bentley Dean
Produced in Association with SBS TV and FFC AUSTRALIA

| AUSTRALIA | 2004 | 88 & 58 minutes |

Unlike John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban, Australian David Hicks has been incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay and refused access to a normal court hearing. He will almost certainly be among the first foreign prisoners to appear before a U.S. Military Tribunal.

After more than two years living in a tiny cage-like cell, David’s family has still not been permitted to visit him and no charges have been laid. This situation applies to over 600 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay representing 42 different countries, revealing a dangerous erosion of democratic and human rights in the western world.

This beautifully shot film embarks on a real journey with David Hicks father, Terry Hicks, as he searches for the truth about his son. After trying in vain to win the support of the Australian government in his battle to persuade the U.S.A. to grant his son a fair trial, Terry decides to launch a one-man crusade to get justice for his son. He follows David’s footstepsthrough Pakistan and the deserts of Afghanistan, in an attempt to understand what led his son into the situation where he was captured by the Northern Alliance and handed over to the American military.

David Hicks' letters written to his father from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay provide real drama and poignant insight into what motivated this young Australian cowboy to become a freedom fighter for Islam.