August AMA!

Hi,

In short – we haven't done an AMA in awhile, so ask away below. I'll be checking in over the next few days to answer any questions you have.

If you haven't dipped your toes in any AMA before, then this is the place you can ask any lingering questions about a Webworm story, something else I've made, or my hot takes on other stuff (be warned, my takes are not that hot).

I've ended up in Toronto this week, here to see some New Zealand friends put on an incredible dance show called Body Story. With that in mind, I'm working from Toronto for the week, and doing a lil' Webworm meetup on Thursday night (come, Canadians!)

Webworm Wins!

In other news – Webworm has won again in US court, a judge dismissing the second case brought against it by Anna Wilding and James Sved. They lost their first case, and the second was dismissed with prejudice – which is great news for Webworm.

You can read the background to all that here.

Following the pair's loss, Sved took to his own online publication – Herald de Paris – to write a short blog, followed by a very, very, very long blog.

Around the same time, an anonymous Reddit user started making multiple posts across multiple subreddits (so, so many) complaining about my movies getting funding – weirdly hitting on many of the same points Sved made on his own website. Weird. Both Sved's website and the anonymous Reddit user also referenced funding information from a recent OIA release. Weird!

Anyway – I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hugely appreciate your monthly or yearly subscription to Webworm, as it allows me to get legal support when court stuff comes up in New Zealand, or – in this case – in the US.

Thanks for listening to the short audio doc I made about Everlee Wihongi, post-ICE.

As per usual, the comments section was a really beautiful read and made me so, so happy to have the readers I do. Two names popped up that I wanted to highlight: Everlee's mother, and aunt:

Betty Wihongi:

"What a journey this has been so far. This whole experience resonates with a favorite poem by Langston Hughes – 'Mother to Son'... look it up, it's epic.

I wanted to express my deepest gratitude to David Farrier for writing about and continuously reporting on Everlee’s story, and for keeping her in the public eye.

Every time a report on Everlee came out, we would be swamped with calls and emails. I believe it was that intense public scrutiny that finally prompted the New Zealand Consulate to step up and begin fulfilling the measure of their office. David’s reports were like adding liquid jet fuel to the flames, this kept the public aware.

But as phenomenal as David is, I also want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone here in the comments section. I cannot tell you how much your words buoyed us up.

There were days when the vile comments from strangers online left soul-deep bruises. There were times when the lies from an ageing, tiny little wannabe Trump with Napoleonic syndrome, casting shade on our daughter, would enrage us. And then there were the quiet times when, as parents, we questioned whether we were doing enough.

Through every twist and turn, every mountain and molehill, we had a group of people whom we didn’t even know standing beside us. You were there, giving us kind words, worrying with us, strengthening us, being outraged with us, and cheering with us as we followed Everlee’s progress.

You may never fully know how much that meant to us.

With heartfelt thanks.

Ngā mihi nui.

Arohanui."

Jen H-S:

"Thank you for providing this glimpse into Everlee’s life post abduction David.

True to form I knew they would feed you lol. Everyone who goes there will leave with a full puku.

I was happy to hear the banter between Betty Everlee and you and the laughs. Was great to hear my niece tell her story.

Thanks for letting her know that she has a story to tell, and she’s more than a headline in yesterday's news.

Oh

And fuck Winston peters.

Betty doesn’t swear so I’ll swear for her. Lol."

It's worth noting New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, has still not walked back his original statement about Everlee somehow being at fault for failing to fill in paperwork at LAX.

New Zealand's government (of which Winston is a part of) is a shitshow at the moment – a failed coup yesterday (by the Prime Minister's own party) failing to take him out. It's easy to moan about US politics, but New Zealand's is pretty septic, too.

Okay – see you in the comments. No questions too big, none too small.