A new documentary film sheds light on the Surrey couple involved in a plot to blow up the B.C. Legislature in Victoria 10 years ago, on Canada Day 2013.
John 鈥淥mar鈥� Nuttall and Amanda 鈥淎na鈥� Korody were originally found guilty by a jury and did time in prison, but were later acquitted when the Supreme Court of B.C. heard they were coerced by undercover police officers to carry out a terrorist bombing.
Director 鈥檚 鈥淢anufacturing the Threat鈥� is a fascinating portrait of the couple and also a murky world of Canadian police infiltration, manipulation and entrapment, and how policing and security agencies were granted additional powers after 9/11 to go after 鈥渢errorists鈥� and justify growing budgets.
This week the film is , on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (Oct. 17, 19, 20).
to watch the trailer.
Back in 2013, during Operation Souvenir, the RCMP provided Nuttall and Korody with explosives and fake detonators, then arrested and charged them for plotting a terrorist attack.
Miller鈥檚 gripping film, world-premiered at Vancouver鈥檚 DOXA film festival last May, uses surveillance video to help show how an impoverished pair became radicalized Muslims with pressure and guidance of undercover police who, the director contends, sought to 鈥渕anufacture鈥� the terrorist threat.
Last year the couple announced plans to sue police, prosecutors in their case and the B.C. and Canadian governments.
鈥� RELATED, from 2022: .
Nuttall and Korody still live in the Surrey area, the Montreal-based director said.
鈥淭hey had never really done interviews before. It took time to build some trust, and I think that鈥檚 warranted,鈥� Miller said in a phone call Tuesday (Oct. 17).
鈥淚 was very lucky to get some development funding for the film in 2019, and that鈥檚 when I went out and filmed with them,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭hat ended up being the main bulk of the filming for this. I would have liked to have a few more days with them, you know, a year or two later, but that鈥檚 not what happened.鈥�
Miller said she鈥檚 remained in contact with the lawyer involved in the the couple鈥檚 2022 lawsuit against police and governments.
鈥淚 have been writing Omar and Ana, letting them know how things are going,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 attend the premiere (last spring) but I sent them a copy of the film. I don鈥檛 know if they decided to watch it, because it鈥檚 hard for anyone to watch themselves on TV or in films, never mind if you鈥檙e sharing extremely traumatic, difficult stories of what happened to you.鈥�
Miller says DOXA is the only 鈥渂ig festival鈥� in Canada to have welcomed the film, to date, and she鈥檚 not entirely sure why.
鈥淓very other of the Canadian festivals that are in, like, the A tier, the bigger festivals, have snubbed the film, and there still isn鈥檛 a Canadian broadcaster that鈥檚 taken the film,鈥� Miller said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the only film on entrapment and agent provocateurs in Canadian history, that鈥檚 ever been made, so guaranteed there鈥檚 people who will find it interesting,鈥� she added.
鈥淚s it a conspiracy to say that maybe broadcasters don鈥檛 want to ruffle any feathers and have any issues? I don鈥檛 know. It鈥檚 tricky for me to say because nobody wants sour grapes, and there are so many good docs that don鈥檛 get a license or that don鈥檛 get into good festival, or bigger festivals, I should say.
鈥淚鈥檓 very thrilled with the results so far,鈥� Miller added. 鈥淲e鈥檝e won a couple of awards, and international eyeballs will see this film. But it is a Canadian subject for a Canadian audience. I can鈥檛 speak on behalf of the broadcasters, but it is one of those things, right, because maybe it鈥檚 as simple as no one wants to be critical of the RCMP and CSIS because of the cultural ecosystem that we live in, in Canada.鈥�
- with files from Jane Skrypnek
