The Most Wanted Man in the World: Behind the Scenes with Edward Snowden

(mellow, mysterious music)

I’m James Bamford, I’m a writer.

I’ve spent most of my career writing on

intelligence and national security.

I specialized in the NSA, the National Security Agency

from the very beginning.

My name's Platon,

and I’m a photographer.

I’ve captured people like Gaddafi, Putin,

all the living American presidents,

and this particular project, in some way sums up,

everything I’ve ever worked on in my life.

[James] I’ve interviewed numerous whistleblowers

from NSA in the past,

and this is sort of the ultimate whistleblower.

No one can get to this guy.

This guy is probably one of the most wanted

people on the planet,

and there was never a moment,

when we knew it's gonna work out.

[James] I’d been trying to do this for,

eight months or more,

and I was just very worried that for some reason

something was gonna go wrong.

[Platon] I remember just keep looking at my watch,

and then, suddenly,

there’s the quietest tap on the door.

And this small frame,

elegantly just seeps through the door.

He shakes our hand and says,

“Hi.

I’m Ed.”

[James] I hadn’t really seen him smile before,

Laugh or anything.

It was very comforting to see that this is not

the serious Ed Snowden that I’d seen on television,

that we could have sort of an interesting rapport.

[Platon] So while he’s talking, I’m watching him.

He’s gentle.

He’s quiet.

And yet,

there’s a weird power to this guy.

He feels so strongly about what he’s doing

he’s willing to go to prison.

He’s willing to work out some kind of a...

negotiated settlement.

It was almost as so if Snowden was on this train

that was out of control, and he was the only one to have the

courage to pull the emergency break,

in order to get that information to the American public.

(mellow, emotional music)

[Platon] When Snowden was ready, I said look,

I’m not here to impose anything on you,

but I do have a few things that will help us tell a story.

And, he looked at the flag and he said,

(exhales deeply)

“I don’t know.

It’s a bit risky, but that is pretty powerful.”

I didn’t want to give the impression of cheap defiance.

He seems to care deeply about what America is.

One of the most striking things he said,

“Not only do I believe in something,

I believe in it enough that I’m willing to

set my own life on fire and burn it to the ground.”

And I believe that, because that’s basically what he did.

And now he’s a man without a country,

wondering about whether he’s gonna be arrested

and put in jail for the rest of his life.

[Platon] So I shake his hand.

He says goodbye to everyone,

He’s a very humble guy.

He leaves the room,

the door closes,

and we all look at each other, and our jaws drop open.

(soft, emotional music)

[James] I spent, I think more time with Ed Snowden

than anybody else has spent.

I think what it gave me was a better insight into

Ed Snowden than people had seen before,

and that insight was how dedicated and sincere he was.

(soft, emotional music)