Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame tackles a much more serious topic for his new documentary Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden. Spurlock travels to Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in his attempt to find the terrorist. Although he sets out with this grand plan in mind, one wonders if Spurlock was ever serious about finding the terrorist, instead using the search for Bin Laden as an excuse to visit many of the countries filled with people who supposedly ‘hate’ the U.S. The fact that he never finds him is beyond the point as he successfully gives the people of the Middle East a human face.
Spurlock uses many ‘man on the street’ type interviews in the countries he visited to gauge the public’s thought on America, Americans, and Bin Laden. He found that many do not hate Americans specifically but do abhor America’s foreign policy. In addition to these interviews, Spurlock fills in the viewer with the result of the U.S. war on terror, which has resulted in an increased number of al Qaeda terrorist cells and an increased number of terrorist attacks since this war began seven years ago.
Spurlock’s use of animation and graphics almost sets the tone for the documentary to be lightweight and not very serious. However with his tactics, Spurlock is able spread a message that even one who lacks the most basic information about worldly affairs will be able to understand: Muslims don’t hate Americans and most do not support Bin Laden. In fact, many hate him because his acts have resulted in devastating retaliation by the U.S. and have also tarnished the image of Islam.
Spurlock’s documentary is not exactly tailored for the sophisticated viewer. Instead, he aims for the everyman and in that, he succeeds. Hopefully, viewers will use the bit of knowledge gained from Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden to increase their understanding of world affairs and the impact of America’s foreign policy.
For more information about Morgan Spurlock, check out this interview conducted by Altmuslim’s Wajahat Ali.
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