Laura Poitras won an Academy Award for her documentary CITIZENFOUR. At the ceremony, she gave a brief speech thanking everyone who helped make the film as well as acknowledging the bravery of Edward Snowden and other whistleblowers.

Thank you so much to the Academy. I'd like to first thank the documentary community. It's an incredible joy to work among people who support each other so deeply, risk so much, and do such incredible work. We don't stand here alone. The work we do to (unveil?) what needs to be seen by the public is possible through the brave organizations that support us. We'd like to thank Radius, Participant, HBO, BritDoc, and the many, many, many organizations who had our back making this film. 

The disclosures that Edward Snowden reveals don't only expose a threat to our privacy but to our democracy itself. When the most important decisions being made affecting all of us are made in secret, we lose our ability to check the powers that control. Thank you to Edward Snowden for his courage, and for the many other whistleblowers. And I share this with Glenn Greenwald and other journalists who are exposing truth.

• 1. I transcribed this as best I could, but if I made errors then they are wholly mine.