Zero Dark Thirty

According to Walter Helwich, this is a controversial thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow. This movie describes how was captured the world’s most wanted terrorist – Osama Bin Laden! “Zero Dark Thirty” stars Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton and Chris Pratt.

After September 11^th, the CIA agent, Maya, is going after the most wanted terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. She starts to work with her colleague, Dan, who interrogates the prisoners, torturing and humiliating them. After they interrogated Ammar, who is associated with Saudi terrorists, they revealed some clues that could lead them to Obama. The filmmakers decided to show the flow of events from Maya’s perspective, the young agent and analyst whose job is to locate terrorists around the world. Maya’s character is based on a real person. The film is a blend of action, journalism and drama. It is neither fiction nor documentary, but an exciting mixture that sheds light on the dark aspects of fighting terrorism. The central character, Maya is going after Osama bin Laden, and she is also experiencing intense interrogations of Al Qaeda prisoners. She tried to show the complexity of the situation, both moral and psychological. “This film does not have the purpose to settle or resolve this problem. The aim was to list some events and to present them accurately to the audience.” says Boal.

Boal searched for inspiration in the new kind of journalism from the sixties, when the eminent American writers started to use literary techniques to describe certain events. Her characters must show not only their personal struggles, but the details and consequences of this historic event, while they are protecting their identity.  Inspired by the findings, Boal has created characters who are expressing the experiences of those who participated in the operation, as well as other members of the military and intelligence communities.

“Zero Dark Thirty” (military term for the time when the Navy special forces carried out the attack on Osama Bin Laden) is the most ambitious project of Kathryn Bigelow. The screenwriter and producer is Mark Boal, an experienced journalist and award-winning playwright. Visit Walter Helwich at CrunchBase to find out more.