Jarecki’s Acclaimed Documentary Is A Riveting Investigation Of Julian Assange, Founder of Wikileaks and The Global Battle for Transparency
Winner Of The Recently Announced Golden Globe Prize Presented at Cannes for Documentary
Recipient Of The L’Oeil D’or Special Jury Prize In Cannes.
New York, NY (November 10, 2025) – Watermelon Pictures is proud to announce the acquisition of North American distribution rights to THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN, the latest documentary from award-winning filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight, The Trials of Henry Kissinger). The deal was negotiated by Munir Atalla, Head of Production and Acquisitions at Watermelon Pictures, and WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers.
THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN received widespread acclaim for its urgent and fearless portrayal of press freedom in the modern age. The documentary had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the prestigious Special Screenings section, where director Eugene Jarecki won the recently announced Golden Globe Prize for documentary. The Golden Globe Award honors a filmmaker’s “contribution in shaping the documentary genre and challenging the way audiences see the world.” The film also won a Special Jury Prize in Cannes marking the 10th anniversary of the L’Oeil d’or prize.
THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN examines the saga of Julian Assange, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks, whose release from prison reignited a global debate over the right to information. Combining exclusive access to WikiLeaks archives, rare footage, and intimate interviews, the film plays out as a high-tech international thriller about power, truth, and the cost of transparency.
Official Synopsis: Being a journalist has never been as dangerous as it is today, in a world where the defence of truth is under attack from all sides. This film traces the saga of Julian Assange, a contemporary icon of the right to information, whose recent release from prison has reignited the global debate on press freedom. Thanks to privileged access to Wikileaks footage and archives and never-before-seen evidence, this documentary takes the form of a high-tech international thriller.
Featuring appearances by Julian Assange, Stella Assange, Pamela Anderson, Edward Snowden, Naomi Klein, Chris Hedges, Jeremy Scahill, and Lady Gaga, Jarecki’s film delves into the personal and political upheavals surrounding Assange’s fight for freedom. Beginning in 2010—the year WikiLeaks unleashed a wave of classified disclosures—the documentary tracks how Assange’s actions reshaped journalism, democracy, and surveillance in the digital age.
“It’s a privilege to champion Eugene Jarecki’s fearless and vital storytelling,” said Hamza Ali, Co-Founder of Watermelon Pictures. “The Six Billion Dollar Man doesn’t just document history, it challenges us to confront the systems shaping it.” Justin DiPietro, EVP of Watermelon who will be spearheading the distribution of the film added, “Jarecki’s film gives us an opportunity to spread our creative wings and showcase our versatility as a distributor.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Watermelon Pictures for the release of The Six Billion Dollar Man. Watermelon understands the urgency of the film at a time when journalists are being killed around the world, news organizations are being gutted, and authoritarianism is spreading like wildfire. Through all its jaw-dropping twists and turns, the saga of Julian Assange’s fight to defend the public’s right to the truth holds deeper resonance today than ever before.” stated Director Eugene Jarecki.
Produced by Kathleen Fournier for Charlotte Street Films, the documentary was co-produced by Andrew McLain, Molly Bareiss, Claudia Becker, José Passarelli, and Juan Passarelli, with executive producers Addison O’Dea, Mathilde Bonnefoy, Geralyn White Dreyfous, and James Packer.
THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN (126 min) was produced in the United States, Germany, and France and was an Official Selection of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival (Séance Spéciale) winning the 2025 Cannes L’Œil d’or Prize for Documentary.
Director Eugene Jarecki is an award-winning American filmmaker known for his incisive, politically engaged documentaries including Why We Fight (Grand Jury Prize, Sundance 2005), The House I Live In (Grand Jury Prize, Sundance 2012), and The King (Cannes Official Selection, 2017). His work has been recognized with Peabody and Emmy Awards for its fearless examination of American power, justice, and morality.
