Rendition, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon, is a "surprisingly courageous" and accurate film, says a lawyer for Guantanamo Bay prisoners. The movie tells the story of an Egyptian man abducted and tortured by the CIA in Egypt. "Now, will we persuade the world in a moment? No," says Clive Stafford Smith, noting the media's important role in shaping public opinion.
Stafford Smith works for a charity representing more than 40 Guantanamo inmates. Rendition nails details, he says, such as how names are deleted from flight records and how close family members start to wonder if victims really do have terrorist ties. The film echoes many real-life examples, such as that of Canadian Maher Arar, who was deported and tortured in Syria. (More rendition stories.)