“The Libel Tourist” is a short-form documentary produced by the Moving Picture Institute, whose short films program allows young filmmakers to display their skills while also positively impacting human freedom.
This 8-minute film short addresses one of the gravest subjects of contemporary political life. Here, viewers witness the story of a chilling threat: how Saudi petrodollars have cowed, silenced, and nearly broken free speech in the West.
The film documents the true story of U.S. citizen Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, whom the U.K. High Court ordered to destroy all copies of her book—although it was never published in England—after a notoriously litigious Saudi billionaire sued her there. She refused.
Ehrenfeld’s Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed — and How to Stop It accuses the Saudi billionaire of funding of terrorism.
As I wrote in “Libel Wars” several months before Ehrenfeld invited me to join her American Center for Democracy as a Senior Fellow, she is counter-suing him in New York, to defend the First Amendment for herself—and for America. In “The Libel Tourist” (available here in English and Arabic), she speaks of this issue, the first time on film.
“This film is an eye-opening exposees,” says film director Jared Lapidus. “It deals directly with the issues of terrorism, Islamo-fascism, and how it is infringing on our rights in the West, and the U.S. in particular.”
Film Credits
Directed, Produced, & Edited: Jared Lapidus
Executive Producers: Thor Halvorssen, Rob Pfaltzgraff
Written by: Jared Lapidus, Sheldon Lapidus
Written by (Concept): Thor Halvorssen
Music by: Allan Fox
Narrated by: Dave Benson
Production Coordinator: Marina Lyaunzon
Copy Writer: Celia Farber
Graphic Design: Chandler Tuttle
Production Assistant: Shawn Kittelsen
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Alyssa A. Lappen
Alyssa A. Lappen is a U.S.-based investigative journalist. She is the former Managing Editor at the Leeb Group (2012-2017); a former Senior Fellow of the American Center for Democracy (2005-2008); and a former Senior Editor of Institutional Investor (1993-1999), Working Woman (1991-1993) and Corporate Finance (1991). She served six of her 12 years at Forbes (1978-1990) as an Associate Editor. Ms. Lappen was also a staff reporter at The New Haven Register (1975-1977). During a decade as a freelance, her work appeared in Big Peace, Pajamas Media, Front Page Magazine, American Thinker, Right Side News, Family Security Matters, the Washington Times and many other Internet and print journals. Ms. Lappen also contributed to the Terror Finance Blog, among others. She supports the right of journalists worldwide to write without fear or restriction on politics, governments, international affairs, terrorism, terror financing and religious support for terrorism, among other subjects. Ms. Lappen is also an accomplished poet. Her first full-length collection, The Minstrel's Song, was published by Cross-Cultural Communications in April 2015. Her poems have been published in the 2nd 2007 edition of Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust and both 2007 issues of Wales' award-winning Seventh Quarry: Swansea Poetry Magazine. Dozens of her poems have appeared in print and online literary journals and books. She won the 2000 annual Ruah: A Journal of Spiritual Poetry chapbook award and has received a Harvard Summer Poetry Prize and several honorable mentions.