Nominated for Five Academy Awards This Year

The one who cornered Bin Laden was a woman.—'Zero Dark Thirty,' which reveals the process leading to Bin Laden's death alongside shocking truths, is already being hailed as an Academy Award frontrunner even before its Japanese release. Nominated for five awards—Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Editing—the film's awards season trajectory is being closely watched.



The director is Kathryn Bigelow, who made history as the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director with 'The Hurt Locker,' a film about an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team in Iraq. Alongside screenwriter Mark Boal, she delved into the top-secret details of how Bin Laden's whereabouts were discovered and what truly transpired on the day of the operation, conducting meticulous interviews with those involved.



Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, the lead CIA analyst. She portrays Maya's evolution from a solitary analyst to a leader responsible for her team, lending the film a universal and compelling coming-of-age narrative. The cast also features Jennifer Ehle as Jessica, who develops a complex relationship with Maya, and Jason Clarke as Dan, the leader of the Pakistan station known for his harsh interrogation methods. The film delves into the human drama within the CIA, based on a true story.



The Sealed Truths Are Finally Brought to Light

Despite investing vast resources into the search for Bin Laden, the CIA had made little progress. They pinned their hopes on a tracking team in Pakistan, introducing Maya, a woman in her mid-twenties with striking pale skin and clear blue eyes. Though she didn't appear to be a typical CIA analyst, she possessed an extraordinary talent for information gathering and analysis.



Through extreme interrogation of prisoners, the team uncovers the existence of Bin Laden's courier. However, his location and even his real name remain unknown. One day, operatives are killed in a suicide bombing by an Al-Qaeda operative. Driven by an extraordinary obsession to avenge her fallen comrades, Maya dedicates her entire life to the investigation and finally identifies the courier, becoming convinced she has found Bin Laden's hideout. Yet, no one agrees with her assessment. What decision did the CIA, and ultimately the President, make?—.



'Zero Dark Thirty,' a suspenseful epic, chronicles the pursuit of Osama bin Laden by a single woman with documentary-like realism. The film unveils previously sealed truths: intelligence gathering through cutting-edge technology, brutal interrogations, cerebral espionage, vast sums of bribery, and the Navy SEALs operation.



'Zero Dark Thirty'

Opens nationwide February 15 (Friday) at TOHO Cinemas Yurakucho and other theaters.

Director | Kathryn Bigelow

Starring | Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke

Distributor | Gaga

2012 / USA / 158 min

http://zdt.gaga.ne.jp/



Jonathan Olley©2012 CTMG. All rights reserved.