Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
Promotional poster
Directed by	Morgan Spurlock
Written by	Jeremy Chilnick Morgan Spurlock
Starring	Morgan Spurlock
Distributed by	The Weinstein Company[1]
Release date(s)	April 18, 2008
Country	United States
Language	English

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? (2008) is a documentary film, conceived by Adam Dell and co-written, produced, directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker.

The title of the film is a play on the title of the television game show and computer game series, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and other “Where in the World is” themes.^[2] The promotional poster mimics the poster to the Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The film is dedicated to Spurlock's newborn son, Laken.

Synopsis

After some comical animations involving Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the film shows Spurlock visiting various countries associated with or affected by Bin Laden. The film contains short interviews with many people about Bin Laden and Islamic fundamentalism, and about the US and its war on terror. Supposedly Spurlock searches for Bin Laden, and he even asks people at random in the street where he is. The film is intercut with images of Spurlock's wife in the late stages of her pregnancy. Much of Spurlock's commentary is based on the concerns of a new father.

Spurlock visits Egypt, Morocco, Israel, Palestinian territories, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

In Afghanistan, guarded by about 20 Afghan soldiers he visits Tora Bora. A local government official is shown who wants to change it into an amusement park. Spurlock is also shown on a US army patrol as an embedded journalist. He is shown trying out firing a rocket-propelled grenade. The unit kills a Taliban fighter.

Spurlock is shown hesitating to enter the area of Pakistan near the Afghan border where Bin Laden might be hiding, which is closed to foreigners, and deciding not to go there, arguing that it is not worth the risk. He concludes that the people in the countries he visited are ordinary people just like himself and the audience.

He returns home just in time for the birth of his son.

The piece mimics the personal narrative style of documentary film similar to the 1986 documentary Sherman's March which follows filmmaker Ross McElweeon a quest to retrace the path of General Sherman's Union soldiers while simultaneously documenting the filmmaker's personal quest to find love after a difficult break-up.

Release

The film debuted January 21, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It opened in limited release in the United States on April 18, 2008. The film opened in the United Kingdom on May 9, 2008.^[3] The Australian release was for April 10, 2008, but was delayed until June 19, 2008 (in a very limited release).

Critical reception

As of October 5, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 36% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 87 reviews.^[4] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 45 out of 100, based on 28 reviews.^[5] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times calls this film "a real disappointment."

However, the film did receive several good reviews. Lisa Kennedy from the Denver Post said:

At its most illuminating, Morgan Spurlock's compelling if self-indulgent travelogue investigation Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? reminds us that a livelihood isn't just 'America's No. 1 issue' as CNN reminds us.^[6]

References

External links

• Official website
• Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? at the Internet Movie Database
• Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? at Rotten Tomatoes
• Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? at Metacritic
• Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? at Box Office Mojo
• Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? at Allmovie
• Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? at sundance.org