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Documentary About Elizabeth Holmes Becomes a Box Office Hit

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A new documentary called 'You Can See Everything' has become one of the most successful documentary releases in decades. The film focuses on Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the failed biotech company Theranos.

Holmes became famous after creating Theranos, a company that claimed to have invented a revolutionary blood-testing technology. Investigations later showed that the technology did not actually work as promised, and Holmes was eventually convicted of fraud.

The documentary is directed by Nathan Fielder, a filmmaker known for his unusual and creative style. It also features the reporter whose investigation first exposed the problems with Theranos and helped bring the truth to the public.

Since its release, the film has performed strongly at the box office, meaning many people have paid to watch it in theaters. This is unusual, since documentaries rarely attract huge audiences compared to regular movies.

Industry observers say the film's success shows how much public interest remains in the Elizabeth Holmes story. Her rise and fall as a young Silicon Valley entrepreneur has already inspired books, TV shows and other films.

The strong performance of 'You Can See Everything' suggests that audiences are still fascinated by stories of ambition, deception and consequences in the business world. Its box office results place it among the top documentary releases of recent decades.

Vocabulary10 words

documentary
a film that shows real people and real events
biotech
short for biotechnology; science used to make health products
technology
tools or methods made using science
fraud
the crime of lying to get money or advantage
box office
the money a movie earns from ticket sales
entrepreneur
a person who starts a new business
investigation
careful work to find out facts about something
convicted
officially found guilty of a crime in court
ambition
a strong wish to succeed or achieve something
deception
the act of making someone believe something false

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Quiz

1. What company did Elizabeth Holmes found?
2. Why did Elizabeth Holmes become infamous?
3. True or False: Documentaries usually earn as much at the box office as regular movies.

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Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

A new _____ called 'You Can See Everything' has become one of the most successful documentary releases in decades. The film focuses on Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the failed _____ company Theranos.

Holmes became famous after creating Theranos, a company that claimed to have invented a revolutionary blood-testing _____. Investigations later showed that the technology did not actually work as promised, and Holmes was eventually convicted of _____.

The documentary is directed by Nathan Fielder, a filmmaker known for his unusual and creative style. It also features the _____ whose investigation first exposed the problems with Theranos and helped bring the truth to the public.

Since its release, the film has performed strongly at the _____, meaning many people have paid to watch it in theaters. This is unusual, since documentaries rarely attract huge audiences compared to regular movies.

Industry observers say the film's success shows how much public interest remains in the Elizabeth Holmes story. Her rise and fall as a young Silicon Valley _____ has already inspired books, TV shows and other films.

The strong performance of 'You Can See Everything' suggests that audiences are still fascinated by stories of ambition, _____ and consequences in the business world. Its box office results place it among the top documentary releases of recent decades.

Discussion questions

  1. Why do you think people are still interested in the Elizabeth Holmes story?
  2. Do you think documentaries can be as entertaining as regular movies? Why or why not?
  3. What qualities make a documentary successful at the box office?
  4. Would you watch this documentary? Why or why not?

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