Showtime Documentary Films will premiere Risk, the latest documentary from Academy Award-winner Laura Poitras, on Saturday, July 22, and will debut Whitney: “Can I Be Me,” about Whitney Houston, on Friday, Aug. 25. (Whitney was initially scheduled for Aug. 26, but was moved up a day after Showtime secured the pay-per-view boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.)
)Filmed over six years, including through the 2016 presidential election, Risk offers a close-up of Julian Assange and those who surround him. According to Showtime, “With unprecedented access, Poitras gives us the WikiLeaks story from the inside, allowing viewers to understand our current era of massive leaks, headline-grabbing news and the revolutionary impact of the internet on global politics.
The film was released theatrically last month.
Whitney: “Can I Be Me” is directed by Nick Broomfield (Kurt & Courtney) with Rudi Dolezal. The film was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in May.
Six-time Grammy winner Houston had a troubled marriage to singer Bobby Brown and struggled with addiction before her death at 48. Says Showtime, “With never seen before, behind-the-scenes footage, candid interviews and gripping performance footage—including many of Houston’s greatest hits—Whitney: “Can I Be Me” will offer a raw and uncensored look at Houston, exploring the impact her life and death had on the people around her and the world of music.”
Risk is produced in association with Field of Vision and First Look Media and is executive produced by Sam Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot.
Whitney: “Can I Be Me” is executive produced by John Battsek through his Passion Pictures label, Patrick Holland, Shani Hinton, Charles Finch and Ben Silverman.
