Betty Ann Ong

The movie “ Zero Dark Thirty” uses a voice recording of flight attendant Betty Ann
Ong, who died in the September 11 attacks.  The director did not get permission to use the recording and gave Ms. Ong no credit.  According to an article in today’s Times by Michael Cieply, Ms. Ong’s family is demanding an apology if the film wins any awards tomorrow (and I personally hope it wins bubkes).  

The family also wants a donation to a charitable foundation that was set up in Ms. Ong’s name, a credit for Ms. Ong, and, perhaps most importantly, a statement on both the website for the film and the home entertainment version of the film stating that the Ong family does not endorse torture.

As more than one reviewer has pointed out, this film purports to be an accurate depiction of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, yet it also implies that torture was instrumental in killing him.  The director can’t have it both ways--pretending to historical accuracy, but at the same time claiming the right to fictionalize the history.  I noted before that I will not see this film.  I stand with Betty Ann Ong’s family.