Reality

The social media profile of a young woman includes pictures of her pets, her friends, and her exercise routine. But on June 2, 2017, the posts come to an end. This film begins on the following day and contains verbatim dialogue from the unedited transcript of an FBI audio recording. The audience witnesses the protagonist – played by Sydney Sweeney – arriving at her home in Georgia, only to be met by two men outside who politely inform her that they have a search warrant. What follows is a chamber piece focusing on the interrogation of whistle-blower Reality Winner and the search of her home.
Director Tina Satter presents a snapshot of recent US history that derives all of its tension from the gravity of the situation. The strong imagery and subtle direction of the actors in this drama places it on the cusp of documentary. This enables an unobstructed view of the events of that day – before they became a case that was to polarise the press, the general public and politics.