By Laura Poitras
From the director of the Oscar-nominated My Country, My Country, The Oath is a spectacularly gripping documentary that unspools like a great political thriller. It's the crosscut tale of two men whose fateful meeting propelled them on divergent courses with Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo Bay Prison and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Abu Jandal is a taxi driver in Sana'a, Yemen; his brother-in-law Salim Hamdan is a Guantanamo prisoner and the first man to face the controversial military tribunals. Jandal and Hamdan's intertwined personal trajectories¡ªhow they became bin Laden's bodyguard and driver respectively¡ªact as prisms that serve to explore and contextualize a world which has confounded Western media. As Hamdan's trial progresses, his military lawyers challenge fundamental flaws in the court system. The charismatic Jandal dialogues with his young son, Muslim students and journalists, and chillingly unveils the complex evolution of his belief system post-9/11. The Oath offers a rare window into a hidden realm¡ªand the international impact of the U.S. War on Terror.
Reviews
~ "The most revelatory and essential documentary of 2010!" - David Edelstein, NEW YORK magazine
~ "FASCINATING! Poitras's movie digs deep; it hints at the violently conflicting drives that an intelligent human being may be liable to." - David Denby, THE NEW YORKER
~ "An intimate character study (of a Yemeni cab driver who once worked as Osama bin Laden's bodyguard) and a wide-ranging critique of the American war on terror." - Dennis Lim, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Awards
~ WINNER - SPECIAL JURY PRIZE - INTERNATIONAL FEATURE - HOTDOCS 2010
~ WINNER - DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION - 2010 SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL
~ WINNER - EXCELLENCE IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD - U.S. DOCUMENTARY - 2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
~ WINNER - SPECIAL JURY AWARD - 2010 FULL FRAME DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
~ WINNER - GRAND JURY PRIZE - BEST DOCUMENTARY - 2010 INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL BOSTON
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