Zero Dark Thirty, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal, is a 2012 action thriller war film, based on the recent events surrounding the hunt for Osama. Bin Laden, leader of the infamous Al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Although the film was received very favorably by the majority of critics and won numerous awards, it also caused a lot of controversy. Most of the controversy has centered around the film's historical accuracy as well as where it obtained certain classified information. Despite the criticism, the film's creators reported that the film was "based on first-hand accounts of true events" at the beginning of the film (Bigelow). However, the question arises that how accurate is Zero Dark Thirty? How much of the film is based on fact and how much is it based on fiction to appeal to general audiences? While some argue that the film is purely a work of fiction that simply has a historical basis and should be treated as such, others argue that Zero Dark Thirty and its filmmakers have questionable ethics and that the film presents a larger problem . film, I and other University of Maryland students heard a speech by William Braniff, executive director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). In his speech, Braniff highlighted the truth behind terrorism, its causes and effects around the world. He also mentioned the movie Zero Dark Thirty and how the media in general tends to portray terrorism to the public, who tend not to know much about terrorism because it is often a private matter of the government. Another distinguishing factor of terrorism is that it is not only political...... middle of paper ... which has been hidden from the public, which is ultimately the right thing to do to raise public awareness of what is happening. Terrorism indicators can help prevent terrorism-related crimes. Works Cited Bigelow, Kathryn, ed. Zero Dark Thirty. Screenplay by Mark Boal. Columbia Pictures, 2012.Film.Braniff, William. “Ethics and a film: Zero Dark Thirty”. University student judiciary. HoffTheater, University of Maryland. March 31, 2014. Speech. Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Business. "Ethics on Film: Discussion of Zero DarkThirty". Carnegie Council. Carnegie Council, March 11, 2013. Web. May 1, 2014. Dargis, Manohla and AO Scott. “Hollywood vs. History.” New York Times Upfront [New York] April 1, 2013: 10-11. Gorman, Siobhan. “The filmmaker obtained secret information about the bin Laden raid. » WallStreet Journal [New York] June 5, 2013: A6..