White House wanted to back 'gutsy' portrayal of US president in new Kathryn Bigelow film Zero Dark Thirty, claims Judicial Watch
Newly released documents prove that Barack Obama's administration gave enthusiastic help to the Oscar-winning team behind a new film about the killing of Osama bin Laden, according to a rightwing US government watchdog.
Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal's new film Zero Dark Thirty centres on the US Navy Seal unit that raided Bin Laden's compound in northern Pakistan in May 2011 on the orders of the US president. The project drew flak from Republicans earlier this year after it emerged that Obama's administration shared information with the production team.
The latest missives were obtained by the Judicial Watch group under the US freedom of information act. "These new documents provide more backing to the serious charge that the Obama administration played fast and loose with national security information to help Hollywood filmmakers," said Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton. "No wonder we've had to fight one year of stonewalling from the administration. These new documents show there is no doubt that Obama['s] White House was intensely interested in this film that was set to portray President Obama as 'gutsy'."
To the casual observer, emails between CIA staff and Bigelow's team have a somewhat mundane quality to them, though they do suggest a certain fanboyesque enthusiasm for the Hollywood project. Screenwriter Boal's proposed floor plan for the Bin Laden compound is verified by the agency, which cheerfully confirms the height of the walls on the third floor.
"OK, I checked with our folks, and that floor plan matches with what we have. It looks legit to us," CIA spokesperson Marie Harf says in an email. In a separate exchange with a colleague, she notes that there are several films in the works about the Bin Laden killing and muses: "I know we don't pick favourites, but it makes sense to get behind a winning horse … Mark and Kathryn's movie is going to be the first and the biggest. It's got the most money behind it, and two Oscar winners on board."
Another CIA official hints in the correspondence that tickets for the premiere of Zero Dark Thirty would be warmly received. "I can't tell you how excited we all are about the project … PS – I want you to know how good I've been not mentioning the premiere tickets," writes then-director of public affairs George Little, signing off with a smiley face.
Contrary to Judicial Watch's assertions, an email from Benjamin Rhodes, US deputy national security advisor for strategic communications, appears to suggest the White House was learning about the CIA's and Pentagon's co-operation with the film-makers after the fact, and wanted to supervise.
"We are trying to have visibility into the [Bin Laden] projects and this is likely the most high profile one," wrote Rhodes to Doug Wilson, assistant secretary of defence for public affairs at the time, and other CIA and White House officials. "Would like to have whatever group is going around in here at the WH to get a sense of what they're doing / what co-operation they're seeking."
"Nothing in this press release is a surprise," said US government national security spokesman Tommy Vietor. "Having a conversation with a journalist, author or film-maker about what he or she is working on is possibly the most basic, mundane function of a press office, and millions of Americans, including many in government, are understandably proud of our nation's effort to kill Bin Laden."
Zero Dark Thirty is due out on 19 December, just after this year's US presidential election. The timing is designed to allay fears among Republican politicians that the movie might influence voters by portraying Obama in a flattering light.
Bigelow and Boal both won Oscars for their work on the Iraq war drama The Hurt Locker. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Boal, a former freelance war journalist, denied there was any political motivation behind the film's release. "There's no political agenda in the film, he said. "Full stop. Period. A lot of people are going to be surprised when they see the film. For example, the president is not depicted in the movie. He's just not in the movie."