The poem Ithaka, written in 1911 by the Greek writer Constantine Cavafy, opens with the lines: “As you set out for Ithaka / hope that your journey is a long one / full of adventure, full of discovery.” It has given a new documentary about Julian Assange both its title and, in many ways, its theme. The film follows Assange’s 76-year-old father, John Shipton, on his own long and winding road to try to save his son from US jail on espionage charges, resulting from the state secrets revealed by WikiLeaks, the organisation Assange founded.
The film – made by Australian director Ben Lawrence and produced by Gabriel Shipton, Assange’s brother – is released in Britain at a crucial stage in the journey. Two weeks ago, home secretary Priti Patel gave the go-ahead for the extradition of Assange, who has been held for the last three years in Belmarsh, the high security prison in London, after spending seven years holed up in the embassy of Ecuador until his arrest in 2019. His legal team are appealing against the latest decision and the battle will be fought over the coming months.
