HKS Authors

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Abstract

The movie “Zero Dark Thirty” is unquestionably a gripping drama and credible contender in this year’s Oscar competition (nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay). If director Kathryn Bigelow’s film presented itself principally as fiction, it could be judged exclusively on its technical or dramatic merits, which are considerable. But because it advertises itself as a factually grounded “journalistic filming” of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, it cannot duck a further question about what it owes to truth.

Citation

Allison, Graham. "'Zero Dark Thirty' Has the Facts Wrong – and That's a Problem, Not Just for the Oscars." Christian Science Monitor, February 22, 2013.