Seymour Hersh has made a name investigating the types of stories that are among the hardest to report: those that some of the most powerful people in the world want to remain hidden. The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist has exposed some of the most unconscionable events that were covered up by the US government, including the My Lai massacre of women, children, and the elderly during the Vietnam War, and the torture and abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Hersh’s career and legacy is the focus of the upcoming Cover-Up documentary, coming soon to Netflix.

Filmmakers Mark Obenhaus and Laura Poitras 

Directed by Academy Award winner Laura Poitras (CITIZENFOUR) and Emmy Award winner Mark Obenhaus (Steep), Cover-Up depicts Hersh’s half-century of reporting and exposing what Hersh believes is a pattern of impunity within the US military and intelligence agencies, told through stacks of Hersh’s own meticulous notes, primary documents, and archival footage. The film also documents Hersh coming to terms with making himself the subject of a story after years of professional collaboration with Poitras and Obenhaus. “This is a film I’ve been wanting to make for over two decades, and I’m so grateful that Sy finally relented. It is an honor to introduce younger generations — particularly young journalists — to Sy’s outsider muckraking reporting,” Poitras says. “Through him, the film speaks to the essential role of investigative journalism in holding the powerful accountable,” Obenhaus says.

Cover-Up premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, and was also screened at Telluride and Toronto International Film Festivals; the film will screen at New York Film Festival and London Film Festival later this year. The film is produced by Yoni Golijov, Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, and Olivia Streisand. Executive producers include Thomas MacWhirr, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Josh Braun, Nick Shumaker.

Says Hersh himself, “This is a time when journalism needs all the support it can get.”

Check back here for more information, including when Cover-Up will be available to stream on Netflix.