Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty

CONTENTS

A fter our successful collaboration on The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal pitched me a film about the decade-long and, at the time, inconclusive hunt for the worlds most dangerous man, Osama bin Laden. In the middle of this process, history was made in that now legendary raid, and we were faced with having either to abandon the project or to pivot in a new direction. Not one to quit anything, Mark forged ahead with renewed purpose and trotted the globe in search of answers to our questions about the hunt, that raid, and the people behind it that had never been addressed in any comprehensive manner. His research turned up incredible discoveries about the anonymous operatives who work behind the scenes. Along the way he recognized there was more to their story than anyone knew, and our excitement about the project escalated as we secured independent financing from Annapurna and distribution agreements with Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures International. Still, I was not prepared for the impact his ultimate screenplay would have on me.

He approached the topic, the hunt, the real world inhabitants of this account in an entirely innovative way, as if he was creating a new genre, one that tells a truthful story in searing scenes, based on bona fide reporting, but that is dramatized, as motion pictures necessarily are, in its specific dialogue and unknowable, intimate moments. What appealed to me as a director was its sense of urgency, its immediacy, both fresh and raw; moreover, that its story presented a living history, one that was unfolding before the world in real time. At the same time, as the thriller aspects of the story unfolded, the material also raised deep moral questions about the lines that were crossed in the war on terror, and the nature of courage and persistence in a world where the normal rules dont seem to apply. The script also immersed me in a way I did not anticipate; its finely drawn characters, the intricate and snappy dialogue, gripping action, and truly human moments drew me in instantly. As for his portrayal of the central character, Maya, he has to my mind presented a unique female heroine unfettered by clichs, allowing us to experience this epic story through a lens that is both intimate and, at the end of the day, totally human. On a broader level, I felt that with this screenplay we could perhaps spark a conversation about the shadowy lives of those in the intelligence community, the price theyve paid for their work, and the murky deeds that were done over this dark decade in the name of national security.

That feels to me like a film worth making and a conversation worth having, now more than ever. ZERO DARK THIRTY by Mark Boal

FROM BLACK, VOICES EMERGE We hear the actual recorded emergency calls made by World Trade Center office workers to police and fire departments after the planes struck on 9/11, just before the buildings collapsed. TITLE OVER: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 We listen to fragments from a number of these calls... starting with pleas for help, building to a panic, ending with the callers grim acceptance that help will not arrive, that the situation is hopeless, that they are about to die. CUT TO: TITLE OVER: TWO YEARS LATER INT. BLACK SITE - INTERROGATION ROOM DANIEL I own you, Ammar.

You belong to me. Look at me. This is DANIEL STANTON, the CIAs man in Islamabad - a big American, late 30s, with a long, anarchical beard snaking down to his tattooed neck. He looks like a paramilitary hipster, a punk rocker with a Glock. DANIEL (CONTD) (explaining the rules) If you dont look at me when I talk to you, I hurt you. If you step off this mat, I hurt you.

If you lie to me, Im gonna hurt you. Now, Look at me. His prisoner, AMMAR, stands on a decaying gym mat, surrounded by four GUARDS whose faces are covered in ski masks. Ammar looks down. Instantly: the guards rush Ammar, punching and kicking. DANIEL (CONTD) Look at me, Ammar.

Notably, one of the GUARDS wearing a ski mask does not take part in the beating. EXT. BLACK SITE - LATER Daniel and the masked figures emerge from the interrogation room into the light of day. They remove their masks and we see that one is a beautiful young woman in her mid-twenties. She has a pale, milky innocence and bright blue eyes, thin and somewhat frail looking, yet possessing a steely core that we will come to realize is off-the-charts. This is MAYA, a CIA targeter and subject-matter expert on her first overseas assignment.

DANIEL (to the guard) Are we gonna board up these windows or what? (to Maya) Just off the plane from Washington, youre rocking your best suit for your first interrogation, and then you get this guy. Its not always this intense. MAYA Im fine. Shes not. DANIEL Just so you know, its going to take awhile. He has to learn how helpless he is.

Lets get a coffee. MAYA No, we should go back in. Something about the strange intensity of her expression makes Daniel reconsider and he turns back to the interrogation room. DANIEL You know, theres no shame if you wanna watch from the monitor. She shakes her head. DANIEL (CONTD) Alright.

At the door, Daniel hands the ski mask back to Maya. DANIEL (CONTD) You might want to put this on. MAYA Youre not wearing one. Is he ever getting out? DANIEL Never. CUT TO: INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER SUPERIMPOSE: CIA BLACK SITE - UNDISCLOSED LOCATION Ammar, bruised from the beating, is restrained with ropes.

Maya stands a few feet behind Daniel, attentive, wary of what is to come. This is her first interrogation and she is on the verge of vomiting from the stench in the room. She looks around at the sound-proofed walls, the puddles of water on the floor. DANIEL Right now, this is about you coming to terms with your situation. Its you and me, bro. I want you to understand that I know you, that Ive been studying you for a very long time.

I could have had you killed Karachi. But I let you live so you and I could talk. AMMAR (resistant) You beat me when my hands are tied. I wont talk to you. DANIEL Life isnt always fair, my friend. Did you really think that when we got you, Id be a nice fucking guy? AMMAR Youre a mid-level guy.

Youre a garbage man in a corporation. Why should I respect you? DANIEL And youre a money man. A paperboy! Daniel paces around Ammar, anger rising. DANIEL (CONTD) A disgrace to humanity! You and your uncle murdered three thousand innocent people. I have your name on a five-thousand dollar transfer via Western Union to a 9/11 hijacker. He leans into Ammars ear.

Uncomfortably close. DANIEL (CONTD) And you got popped with 150 kilograms of high explosives in your house! AND THEN YOU DARE QUESTION ME?! And then Daniel smiles, laughs. Mercurial. DANIEL (CONTD) Im just fucking with you. Beat. He laughs again.

DANIEL (CONTD) I dont want to talk about 9/11. What I want to focus on is the Saudi group. Daniel shows him a photo. DANIEL (CONTD) That there is Hazem al-Kashmiri. And I know this dude is up to some serious shit, and what I want from you is his Saudi email. (pause) Ammar, bro, I know that you know this dude, just give me his email... and I will give you a blanket. and I will give you a blanket.

I will give you a blanket and some solid food. No response from Ammar. Daniel starts putting on his gloves. DANIEL (CONTD) I know that you know him. AMMAR I told you before, I wont talk to you. (to the masks) Lets go. (to the masks) Lets go.

It all happens in a flash: in one swift motion, Daniel pushes Ammar to the floor, the guards pin his limbs, and Daniel smothers Ammars face with a towel. Ammar thrashes. Daniel considers his next move. DANIEL (CONTD) (to Maya) Grab the bucket. Maya follows Daniels gesture to the corner of the room, where theres an ICE CHEST filled with WATER and a PLASTIC PITCHER. DANIEL (CONTD) Put some water in it.

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