SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! Steal This Story, Please! is a masterful documentary, written and directed by Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, about activist and journalist Amy Goodman, founder of the TV and radio program Democracy Now! The film follows Goodman over more than 30 years, and paints an inspiring picture of a tireless advocate for justice in the United States and around the world. Though much of her career has been in radio, Goodman is no stranger to having a film crew follow her around, and it seems she is prescient enough to have documented some key moments in her life and career on video. When combined with footage from her show, the result is a vibrant look into the accomplishments and motivations of an astoundingly unique and driven individual.
“Goodman is tenacious and fearless, often putting her own life at risk to shine a light on injustice and give voice to those whose stories are not being heard.”
Goodman is tenacious and fearless, often putting her own life at risk to shine a light on injustice and give voice to those whose stories are not being heard. In 1991, she and her colleague Allan Nairn went to East Timor, where they witnessed the massacre of 271 people at the hands of Indonesian soldiers, armed with weapons from the United States. Goodman and Nairn were severely beaten and detained. Still, they got the story out and forced the U.S. media to look at the atrocities our government had been complicit in. From 1975, when Indonesia illegally invaded East Timor, to 1999, around 200,000 people were killed, which is a third of the population. Goodman’s reporting shone a spotlight on it and led major news outlets to finally follow her lead. That’s the genesis of the title — Goodman wants other outlets to build on her stories so that the voiceless can be heard.
Democracy Now! excels at giving activists from around the world a microphone and has a strong international following. But it also addresses U.S. politics, holding the powerful to account no matter their party. Steal This Story, Please! opens with Goodman chasing down President Trump’s climate advisor, P. Wells Griffith III, at a conference in Poland. As she follows him through the conference center, she peppers Griffith with questions he can’t answer. We can see that he’s kind of afraid of her. But Goodman is dogged to the point of chasing the man until he slips behind a locked door. This is only one of many such adventures, as Goodman is also shown going after George H. W. Bush about being a war criminal, or former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, asking him why he called the first lady a bitch. When President Bill Clinton called into the show, she didn’t pull any punches, causing him to get flustered and lose his temper.
"…reminds us that we should always be focused on what is right, not what is convenient."
