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> a niche documentary niche like Russian doping? From the article: > The documentary about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi... was one of the hottest films at l

> a niche documentary niche like Russian doping? From the article: > The documentary about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi... was one of the hottest films at last year’s Sundance. It had glowing reviews, a ripped from the headlines subject, and a big-name director in Fogel, fresh off the Oscar-winning “Icarus,” a penetrating look at Russian doping that got the country banned from the Olympics. > And yet, Netflix, which had previously released “Icarus,” and other streaming services such as Apple and Amazon steered clear of “The Dissident.” Wikipedia has a separate article for reactions to Jamal Kashoggi's killing from around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Jamal_Khashoggi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Jamal_Khashog... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_assassination_of_Jamal_Khashoggi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_assassination... Not sure you could call this a niche topic. Heck we're talking about it on HN.

slg 6y ago
The financial viability of a documentary isn't necessarily tied to the importance of the underlying story. This one is about a bigger story than Russian doping, but it doesn't appear to be nearly as good of a documentary as the director's previous work. Icarus won an Oscar while The Dissident isn't among to top 10 or so favorites in its category. When purchasing a documentary, a network would either want something that could potentially become a big hit or potential add prestige by competing in awards. It doesn't appear likely that this documentary would have done either.
- chishaku 6y ago
  Did you read the article? The film debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal, with the Netflix CEO in attendance, and with tons of media coverage. Netflix is already on the record pulling content at the specific request of Saudi Arabia. They explained their decision by saying they aren't in the 'truth to power business.' https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20953210/netflix-reed-hastings-patriot-act-hasan-minhaj-saudi-arabia-episode-remove https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20953210/netflix-reed-has... Thinking this is a niche film and thinking this decision is based on a simple profitability analysis is incredibly naive.
  - slg 6y ago
    Are you familiar with Sundance? Every year there are movies there that receive lots of attention and praise only to completely disappear from public consciousness. Being well liked at Sundance is not necessarily a recipe for either financial or broad critical success. Here is a list from Variety of the the favorites for this year's best documentary feature Oscar[1]. The Dissident comes in at number 22. I can almost guarantee there are documentaries above it you haven't heard of. This documentary wasn't going to be a mainstream hit and it doesn't appear to be a serious contender for awards. There is little incentive for a streaming company to purchase it. It is also worth noting that the issue with Hasan Minhaj's show was specifically it being viewable in Saudi Arabia. That is a very different issue than purchasing rights to a movie in the US or other global markets. [1] - https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-feature-predictions-1234784896/ https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-fea...
    - chishaku 6y ago
      Is winning an Oscar or being a mainstream hit the threshold for Netflix carrying a documentary? Anyone can look at the catalog and see that's obviously not the case. Setting the goal posts there while ignoring the obvious politics around the situation is simply naive.
      - slg 6y ago
        How many of those documentaries on Netflix are exclusive to that platform, debuted on that platform, are popular Sundance movies, and from an Oscar winning filmmaker that wants to charge $20 for renting the movie? It isn't like there is a set price for every documentary. This movie was always going to come with a relatively big price tag compared to its financial viability. I am not ignoring the politics of the situation. I simply said I don't know if the tale told in the article is believable because there are valid non-political reasons that seem to do a better job explaining what transpired.
  - plorkyeran 6y ago
    "Debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal" is basically a euphemism for niche. Every year there are very good movies which are hits at Sundance but never see any uptake after that.

slg 6y ago

The financial viability of a documentary isn't necessarily tied to the importance of the underlying story. This one is about a bigger story than Russian doping, but it doesn't appear to be nearly as good of a documentary as the director's previous work. Icarus won an Oscar while The Dissident isn't among to top 10 or so favorites in its category. When purchasing a documentary, a network would either want something that could potentially become a big hit or potential add prestige by competing in awards. It doesn't appear likely that this documentary would have done either.

chishaku 6y ago
Did you read the article? The film debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal, with the Netflix CEO in attendance, and with tons of media coverage. Netflix is already on the record pulling content at the specific request of Saudi Arabia. They explained their decision by saying they aren't in the 'truth to power business.' https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20953210/netflix-reed-hastings-patriot-act-hasan-minhaj-saudi-arabia-episode-remove https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/7/20953210/netflix-reed-has... Thinking this is a niche film and thinking this decision is based on a simple profitability analysis is incredibly naive.
- slg 6y ago
  Are you familiar with Sundance? Every year there are movies there that receive lots of attention and praise only to completely disappear from public consciousness. Being well liked at Sundance is not necessarily a recipe for either financial or broad critical success. Here is a list from Variety of the the favorites for this year's best documentary feature Oscar[1]. The Dissident comes in at number 22. I can almost guarantee there are documentaries above it you haven't heard of. This documentary wasn't going to be a mainstream hit and it doesn't appear to be a serious contender for awards. There is little incentive for a streaming company to purchase it. It is also worth noting that the issue with Hasan Minhaj's show was specifically it being viewable in Saudi Arabia. That is a very different issue than purchasing rights to a movie in the US or other global markets. [1] - https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-feature-predictions-1234784896/ https://variety.com/feature/2021-oscars-best-documentary-fea...
  - chishaku 6y ago
    Is winning an Oscar or being a mainstream hit the threshold for Netflix carrying a documentary? Anyone can look at the catalog and see that's obviously not the case. Setting the goal posts there while ignoring the obvious politics around the situation is simply naive.
    - slg 6y ago
      How many of those documentaries on Netflix are exclusive to that platform, debuted on that platform, are popular Sundance movies, and from an Oscar winning filmmaker that wants to charge $20 for renting the movie? It isn't like there is a set price for every documentary. This movie was always going to come with a relatively big price tag compared to its financial viability. I am not ignoring the politics of the situation. I simply said I don't know if the tale told in the article is believable because there are valid non-political reasons that seem to do a better job explaining what transpired.
- plorkyeran 6y ago
  "Debuted at Sundance to broad critical appeal" is basically a euphemism for niche. Every year there are very good movies which are hits at Sundance but never see any uptake after that.