Inspired by true events, COLLATERAL DATA tells the story of a group of digital activists who use computers, cell phones, and other gadgets to respond to trouble in countries around the world, challenging governments and subverting dictators. Things spiral out of control when these self-styled heroes find themselves in over their heads and unprepared for an expanding web of dangers technology may not be able to save them from.

SYNOPSIS:

Drawing from the screenwriter's TED Talk and own life experiences and in the spirit of films like THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, SPOTLIGHT, WHISKY TANGO FOXTROT, ARGO and THE FIFTH ESTATE, COLLATERAL DATA is a semi-biographical techno-thriller set in the unlikely backdrop of North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa during the Arab Spring and the wave of anti-authoritarian renaissance spreading across Africa at the time.

An African-American World Bank contractor inspires a group of hackers to use their mastery of technology to respond to situations where activists are being targeted around the world.

As word of their efforts grows in coverage and their star rises, they become the target of attacks themselves. Things get even more chaotic when they realize some of their actions have put lives at risk they were trying to save.

Things quickly spiral out of control leading to their being targeted, arrested, tortured, and in some cases murdered by governments annoyed by their interference. Ultimately, the film is about the human cost of activism and the unintended consequences of throwing yourself into worlds you don’t fully understand.

Is tech the solution or is it the problem?