Joseph Gordon-Levitt Has A Question For You

In February, Joseph Gordon-Levitt announced he would funnel part of his “Snowden” paycheck toward making short films related to the thesis of Oliver Stone’s upcoming movie about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden: Does technology help or hurt democracy? This week, The Huffington Post is premiering the five-part series, beginning today with an introductory documentary called “Are You There, Democracy? It’s Me, the Internet.”

Via his production company, HitRecord, Gordon-Levitt solicited online submissions encouraging people from all corners of the political spectrum to discuss their positions on government in the digital age. The actor, who grappled with these questions himself while portraying Snowden, teamed up with the ACLU, to which he has reportedly donated the remainder of his salary from the film. Along the way, famous friends like Emma Watson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Shailene Woodley and Snowden himself also chimed in. 

Watch the first short film below, and check back every day this week at 12 p.m. ET for the next installment. Gordon-Levitt will explore the topics of mass surveillance, election rigging and Snowden’s predictions for the future. 

“Snowden” opens in theaters on Sept. 16.