My NDA film review: Breaking the silence
Three whistleblowers risk legal action to expose how NDAs are used to silence victims of abuse, discrimination and mistreatment
My NDA follows Ifeoma Ozoma, Ashley Kostial and Lachlan Cartwright, three professionals who signed non-disclosure agreements and are breaking them. Taking on the risk of legal action from huge companies, including Pinterest, they fight for the chance to speak about their own lives freely as victims of abuse and mistreatment.
While it isn’t the most visually atmospheric documentary, arguably it doesn’t need to be. The whistleblowers talk to journalists and question laws that allow employers to scare them into submission, revealing the moral bankruptcy of companies and seemingly reputable law firms.
From ‘catch and kill’ tactics burying stories about Trump and Weinstein, to sexual assault and racial discrimination, their experiences are harrowing. As the weight of their NDAs get heavier, it becomes apparent that legal tools once used to protect confidential information are being used to silence workers, creating toxic workplace cultures which feed off secrecy. This is an important watch that raises issues of accountability which, thankfully, ends on a hopeful note.
My NDA, Cineworld, 16 August, 12.30pm.