Fremantle label Undeniable, Big Pond Films and Concordia Studio have teamed on true-crime feature documentary “Whatever It Takes,” which will world premiere at SXSW.
The documentary follows the true story of journalists Ina and David Steiner, who were targeted in a Silicon Valley scandal.
“In the summer of 2019, a middle-aged couple are subjected to cyberstalking threats and bizarre deliveries including a bloody pig mask and funeral wreath. As the harassment intensifies, the police and FBI close in on a Silicon Valley giant and some very unlikely suspects,” the documentary’s description reads. “‘Whatever It Takes’ tells the extraordinary story of eBay, a Fortune 500 company founded on the principle that ‘people are basically good’ and how members of their security team ended up in federal prison after trying to protect the CEO from a corporate raider. ‘Whatever It Takes’ is a tale of extreme wrongdoing to protect ‘the brand,’ whatever it takes, and everyday people caught in the crosshairs of one of the most well-known companies in big tech history.”
The story is told through exclusive access to the Steiners and contributors including former eBay employees, detectives and members of the private security industry.
“Whatever It Takes” is directed by Jenny Carchman (“Gossip,” “The Fourth Estate,” “Enlighten Us”) and produced by Allyson Luchak (“15 Minutes of Shame,” “Trial 4,” “The Staircase”) for Big Pond Films as well as Ben Travers. Executive producers are Undeniable founder and creative director Mandy Chang (“The Mole,” “Welcome to Chechnya,” “Writing with Fire”), Jonathan Silberberg, Nicole Stott and Concordia Studio’s Lizzie Fox and Casey Meurer. Cinetic Media is handling worldwide sales.
Chang said: “Audiences are fascinated by powerful stories about the dark side of big tech, especially when they intersect with the ordinary folk using it. I’m delighted to be working with the highly talented and deeply experienced team at Big Pond Films on this totally crazy but true story. I’m equally excited to be partnering with Concordia Studio, whose track record for making powerful documentaries speaks for itself.”
Carchman added: “This film is a jaw-dropping story about one of the most revolutionary companies in Silicon Valley. One of our goals was to understand how did these events happen in the first place and what is a corporation’s moral responsibility when things go wrong.”
“Whatever It Takes” will play at SXSW’s documentary spotlight section. The SXSW Film and TV Festivaltakes place in Austin, Texas from March 8-16.
